Tempting Fate
by snugglejunkie
Summary: Maura gives Jane the chance to decide if she wants to change the nature of their relationship. But just when the detective is about to share her decision she is called to a crime scene that shatters her world...could it be too late?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Just a little Rizzles Story that I couldn't help writing. I have a specific direction I'm going with this and it may get a little grim... Let me know what you think.**

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**Tempting Fate**

**Chapter 1**

Jane took another bite of the now lukewarm lasagne. Every forkful made her feel more and more nauseous – the butterflies in her stomach were becoming heavier. She could almost imagine the cheesy sauce clogging tiny wings, making their fluttering sluggish and strained. The cutlery felt cold in her sweaty hands and anticipation tickled at the back of her neck like a lover's breath. Her world was about to shatter into a million tiny rainbow coloured pieces.

Unable to force down another morsel of Angela Rizzoli's home-cooked (or more accurately café-cooked) meal, she placed the knife and fork down on the plate and let her eyes wander around the deserted Division café.

It was after closing time on Friday afternoon. One of the perks of having their mother work there meant that her and Frankie could sometimes sneak a meal in after hours. Especially on a Friday when Stanley hoofed out of there early - keen to get home to his stamp collection or model airplanes or something equally less like a life.

"Janie, you've hardly touched your lasagne. Is everything alright?" Her mother queried as she came out of the kitchen, a cloth in one hand and some kind of spray cleaner in the other.

She busied herself cleaning the tables as her daughter looked up thoughtfully. "I'm okay Ma, just not so hungry at the moment"

"Ha, then I definitely know that something is up, _you_ not hungry." She challenged. "This is your mother you're speaking to. I had to consider buying milk from the hospital breast milk bank when you were a baby because you were draining me dry!"

"MA!" Jane turned in her chair so quickly that she unbalanced the cold cup of black coffee that had accompanied her meal, it tipped unceremoniously into her waiting lap. She jumped up knocking her chair back, it clattered to the floor heavily with a resounding crack. "Shit!" she cursed, trying unsuccessfully to mop up the coffee with a handful of napkins. She pulled her phone from her belt and, using her shirt, attempted to stop the liquid seeping into it. The detective was so aggressive with her ministrations that she managed to fling the phone a couple of feet across the café and into the wall.

"Could this get any damn worse!" she growled as she hurried to check on the health of her phone. "Damn it!" the screen was cracked. "Great. Just. Great!" At that moment it beeped signalling a text. She just about made out Maura's name and the gist of text being that something had changed and that she would call, but mostly the text was unreadable.

She assumed it was to do with the flight details. She brought an unconscious hand to twist in her hair. Getting the text from Maura reminded the Detective why she was so jumpy.

"So are you going to tell me or do I need to hug it out of you?" Jane startled a little. She had forgotten that her mother was there. Her feisty brown eyes met a matching warm pair. Angela looked decidedly amused, and she was, not least because of her physical affection joke, but also to see her ordinarily well composed daughter so clumsy and frazzled.

Jane sighed.

"Well I suppose I need to talk to someone about it before I go putting a bullet in my foot!" She chuckled in spite of herself, a little less anxious now that she had made the uncharacteristic decision to share with her mother.

"Let me get us both some fresh coffee" Angela said excitedly.

Jane nodded.

A moment later they were both seated at opposite sides of one of the smaller tables. The Rizzoli Matriarch was giddy with suppressed excitement. She remained silent and tried not to bounce in her seat eagerly, lest she alarmed Jane into changing her mind.

Jane took a deep breath. Sure she was making the right decision to confide in her mother, she began to recount the incident that had her so flustered…

* * *

_Two weeks previously_

_Jane sat across from Maura at a small wooden table. She looked on with affection as the honey blonde took great precision in preparing her tea. It was rather impressive to watch – anything that Maura did was impressive to watch her subconscious mind told her. Jane was sure she would have spilled at least half of the tea had it been her._

_They were in one of the smaller coffee shops at Logan Airport. The M.E. was heading out to go to a medical conference. Her flight was due to leave in an hour and she had asked the Detective to grab a drink with her before she went through to the gate. _

_They sat in companionable silence, though Maura kept glancing surreptitiously towards her dark haired friend. Jane didn't need her detective gut to tell her that Maura was struggling to find the words to say something profound._

"_I've been thinking a lot about Officer Curtis." Maura began. _

"_Er…okaaay." Jane drawled. Not sure where this was going._

"_There's something important I need to say to you Jane. And I need you to just listen so I can say it before I talk myself out of it. Okay?" Hazel eyes looked up uncertainly. _

"_Sure Maur, you know you can tell me anything!" Jane sat a little straighter and the fingers of her left hand found their way into her unruly dark curls._

"_Remember when Officer Curtis was shot and we were trying to stop the bleeding?" _

_Jane nodded. _

_Doug Curtis was about three years from retirement when he had interrupted a gang fight on the wrong side of town. The two of them were first to respond to 'Officer down'. Jane had been driving them back to Headquarters from another crime scene and they had happened to be a block away when the call came through. As soon as she pulled the car to a stop, the doctor had rushed to provide medical assistance._

_It had needed two pairs of hands to even come close to stemming the flow of blood from his fragile body. They succeeded in keeping him alive until the ambulance arrived. But he had died later that day in hospital. _

_Jane saw the sadness in her friend's eyes as she thought back to that day._

"_He kept saying 'I never got to take her out!' and then he asked you to get that picture from his wallet… and I thought it was going to be a picture of a woman, some unrequited love interest…but it was a picture of a 1958 Ford Fairlane."_

"_A-huh" Jane was still trying to predict where Maura was going with this._

"_Korsak told me later that he'd bought the car after his wife died, he'd spent years fixing it up. And when it was finished he couldn't bear to take it out in case it got scratched or dinged or something. So he just polished it every weekend in his garage and he didn't get round to driving that beautiful machine." She sipped at her tea. "I just think it's so sad, he loved that car and he let his fear stop him from getting the chance to enjoy it fully."_

"_Hmmm" Jane acknowledged taking a mouthful of her latte._

_Maura looked up uncertain. "Well Jane, you…you are my Ford Fairlane!"_

"_What?!" Jane spluttered through her coffee._

"_Err…what I mean is, my… er…feelings for you are, my feelings for you are like Curtis's car…" The medical examiner blushed "Er…this sounded a lot better in my head!"_

"_Maur, I'm not really following you"_

"_There's this thing between us Jane, the way we are with each other, I think it's more than just friendship..." _

_She sighed " What I'm saying, is, I'm attracted to you…"_

"_Maur."_

"_Let me finish!" _

_Jane held up her hands in mock surrender, her eyes not quite hiding amusement at the unusual firmness to Maura's tone. The honey blonde continued._

"_My feelings for you are more than platonic, I'm attracted to you, I… want more from our relationship" She continued shyly, " I want to take you out on a date, I want to kiss you, I want…" to love you. "I just want more… and I didn't want to waste another minute not knowing if you could feel the same." She took a shaky breath. " But Jane, your friendship means more to me than anything and I don't want to lose that. I can get over the other feelings and keep your friendship if that's all you can give me" _

_She saw Jane leaning forward and held up a hand to silence the Detective._

_The honey blonde took a deep breath not meeting eyes with the dark haired cop. "I have a proposition for you…"_

_The next words gave her confidence, she had thought a lot about this part. "As you know I'm going to Seattle for two weeks, I'll be back next Friday. If you are interested in participating in a romantic relationship with me, then pick me up at the airport. If you don't come to get me then I will know that you just want to be friends and I will make my own way home. I'll see you at work on Monday and we can pretend that this conversation never happened. Things can be the same as they have always been, no harm no fool!"_

"_Foul!" Jane interjected almost inaudibly._

"_Pardon?" Maura queried._

"_You mean no harm no foul…never mind!" Jane shook her head as if to clear it._

"_So, there it is, I said it!" Maura said feeling a sudden lightness now that she had confessed her desire. She dared to look up to see how Jane had taken her revelation. The brunette was unreadable, an expert in hiding her feelings when she wanted to. The doctor wasn't sure if her closed expression was a good sign or not._

"_I have to go now Jane" She drained her teacup and stood, "please consider everything I have said carefully and whatever you decide, know that having you in my life in any capacity is a treasure to me"_

_On impulse Maura leaned in and placed a chaste kiss to Jane's lips. "I'll see you when I get back!"_

_Jane nodded in shock. Speechless from the conversation as a whole, and rendered immobile by the fact that her gorgeous, genius, best friend had just kissed her. She touched her fingers to her lips as she watched the retreating back of the woman who had just tipped her whole world upside down. _

_She sat at the table in shock for over an hour after the Medical Examiner had left._

* * *

"So what are you going to do Janie?" Angela asked, secretly pleased that one of her girls had dared to suggest taking their relationship to the obvious next step.

Feeling like a giddy teenager, Jane smiled a goofy smile and pulled a homemade cardboard sign from a bag she had left by the counter. Angela recognised her daughters' familiar scrawl 'DR MAURA ISLES'. They both chuckled.

"I'm so happy for you!... Maura is a sweet, kind woman, and a doctor what more could a mother ask for?" She enveloped Jane into a big hug that the detective immediately tried to disentangle herself from.

A sudden burst of music interrupted the exchange. Angela went behind the counter to answer her cell phone.

"Ahuh…yes she's here Vince, just a moment…Jane it's Detective Korsak!" She placed the phone into the waiting hand.

"Korsak?"

'_I tried to get you on your phone'_

"Agghh…I think it must be broken, it's taken some abuse tonight, what's up?"

'_Jane I'm sending Frankie to come and pick you up… you need to get here right now'_

Jane felt sudden panic rising in her chest at his tone.

"Korsak. What are you talking about? Where are you? Why does Frankie need to pick me up?"

"_Jane, trust me okay, I'll explain when you get here!"_ The older detective sounded very strange.

"But… " What could have him so troubled? "Is it, is it Hoyt?!"

'_No it's not, just get here Jane!'_

"Wait… where is 'here'?"

The growing panic in her chest exploded when Korsak gave her the address, as familiar to her as her own. The home of Dr Maura Isles - Chief Medical Examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She didn't remember ending the call or handing the phone back to its shocked owner.

She burst out of the café in a full sprint.

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**So there it is, let me know what you think...**


	2. Chapter 2

**So here it is folks, thanks for your comments. **

**Some of you will recognise a familiar scene here minus a dodgy priest and a Rizzoli bump. P****ut on your Hazmat suits guys, we're about to wade deep into the toxic angst that I hinted at in the first chapter.**

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**Chapter 2**

'Ladies and Gentlemen we will now begin our decent into Barnstable Municipal Airport, please fasten your seatbelts for landing, we will have an update shortly regarding progressing the flight to our original destination of Boston Logan, Once again American Airlines apologises for this interruption to your flight schedule'

There had been some initial panic amongst the passengers when the unscheduled stop-over at Hyannis was announced, but the air crew had done a great job of setting worried minds at ease. Now as the plane pulled safely on to the runway, people started chattering about delays and booked transfers and waiting relatives.

Dr Maura Isles had other worries. Had she overstepped the mark with her best friend? Had she been too forward? Had she misread the signs that seemed to point to the detective harbouring feelings similar to her own? She was desperate to know if Jane would be waiting for her when she arrived. Finally her wandering brain caught up with the concerns of her fellow passengers. If the detective was going to meet her at the airport, she would need to know about the delay.

She retrieved her new Kate Spade purse from under the seat in front of her and pulled out her cell phone. She scrolled down the list of names until she came to Jane's number._ I can't call her, what if she had no intention of picking me up? Hmmm text message…_

_[J, flight changed slightly. Will call when I know more, don't answer if you are "unable" to pick me up and as per our agreement I will see you at work Monday. M x]_

She tried not to be disappointed when after several minutes of checking and rechecking her phone she hadn't gotten a return text, at least acknowledging hers.

It seemed like an eternity before the Captain made the announcement that everyone had been waiting for.

'Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you all for your patience, the ground crew have rectified our technical problems and we would ask that you now prepare once again for take-off and we will have you to your intended destination within the hour'

Maura overheard a female passenger in front saying something about the plane having had a problem with its 'phalange', several passengers snickered at the reference. The joke was lost on the M.E. who accessed the part of her brain that stored facts about airplanes. She was just about to inform the stranger that there was definitely no part of the aircraft called a 'phalange' when she heard Jane's voice in her head saying '_give it a rest Dr Smarty Pants!'. _

Thoughts of the Detective brought the honey blonde back to her previous neurosis. _And I kissed her, what was I thinking?, I said no pressure…make your decision in your own time and then I kissed her. _Then again, she reflected, it was such a sweet kiss, albeit a stolen one. Maura smiled now at the memory, pleased with herself for being so daring, if things didn't work out the way she had hoped, at least she'd gotten in that quick kiss. Those soft lips had tasted of grape lip balm. Who would have ever imagined that rough and tumble Detective Jane Rizzoli would use such a product? It made her heart feel warm to know this private detail about the more delicate side of her friend. It was, something she knew that not many people would know.

Perhaps that would be all she could have as payment for all the love that she kept in her heart, one fleeting kiss in a café at the airport?

Surely not.

She had overanalysed the whole conversation many times over the last two weeks, barely keeping up with events at the conference. She was excited at the prospect of a new dimension to her relationship with Jane, but what if it didn't happen? Could she really divorce the friendship from the attraction that had grown so naturally alongside it? Would Jane still look at her the same way or would it be so awkward that they couldn't possibly maintain even a platonic companionship?

These sombre thoughts continued to plague her 45 minutes later as she stood waiting to collect her luggage from the belt.

She typed out another text message, but then thought better of sending it, she called the familiar number instead…it rang…and rang…and voicemail. Maura bit her lip nervously. Should she call again? _Yes... maybe she hadn't heard it ring _she surmised. More ringing followed by a second chance to hear the gruff _'Rizzoli, leave a message!'…_Maybe her phone is broken. _Maybe you're making excuses because you don't want to deal with the fact that she doesn't want you the way you want her to want you… _Third time lucky that's what people say right? Although the chances that doing anything three times in particular could somehow effect a predetermined outcome is of course nonsense….o_h… voicemail!_

Shoulders slumped, defeated by a cell phone, Maura headed to the rental car desk. She didn't even care about the indignity of the tears that she couldn't seem to stop from forging a silvery path down her cheeks.

Twenty minutes later and she was sat behind the wheel of a black Dodge Avenger, the trunk full of luggage. As she pulled out of the airport she considered heading up the coast to Rockport for the weekend, maybe take some time to pull herself back together before facing Jane on Monday… she sighed, though she didn't much feel like going home to her empty bed, she also felt weary from having been away from home this past fortnight…

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Rounding the corner at speed and trying to free her car keys from her pocket at the same time. Jane collided with a very pale looking Lieutenant Sean Cavanagh.

"What the fff!...Oh…sorry sir!" She quickly side stepped him and took up her fast pace towards the exit.

"Rizzoli wait up, I just spoke to Korsak, he said to keep you here until Frankie comes to collect you!"

"Like hell!" She didn't hear his response as she opened the door to the exit and took the steps two at a time. The cool night air stung at her wet clothes. She didn't realise her hands were shaking until her fifth attempt at unlocking the car door.

"Jane, at least let me drive you." The familiar voice said from behind her.

_Jane?... _Cavanagh didn't call her by her first name ever, even in the hospital after the shooting…She was getting nowhere fast trying to unlock the car. He held out a hand for the keys.

"Sure… whatever! I want the lights on though!" she demanded.

"Of course." he said patiently as he opened the car door and slid behind the wheel. Jane got in the passenger seat. _This is weird… being chauffeured around in your own car by your boss... what was happening? What was so bad that she had to see it in person?...she could Just ask him…Korsak had obviously filled him in on what was going on. What if…No.._Jane was suddenly gripped by the realisation that she did not want to know, not just now.

They rode in silence.

The brunette stole a glance at the Lieutenant, he was clinging to the steering wheel and staring straight ahead.

She rubbed at the scar on her left palm aggressively, as if the hardened tissue there was some kind of medical patch that would release a sedative into her bloodstream and ease the tension that had taken over every inch of her.

_Come on, come on, come on! _The traffic was light for this time of the evening but it still felt like the longest car journey ever. When they finally reached their destination Jane practically jumped out of the vehicle before it had come to a complete halt.

Her cop instincts took over as she assessed the setup of the scene before her. It was a very familiar one. A homicide. She couldn't determine exactly where the body was, but she knew, that somewhere in the gloom of this cold night there would be one. But who did it belong to? _To whom did it belong _her internal Maura corrected.

Crime scene tape had no business being on _this_ drive.

No…this was supposed to be a haven from the horrors of the job.

She stared at the gawping faces of her friend's neighbours, emotions ranging from plain curiosity to horror and shock, each expression highlighted eerily in the lights from two cruisers. She leaned back against the car that she had only a moment ago been so desperate to vacate. _Suck it up Rizzoli, Maura is fine, she's on a plane right now for Christ sakes… You need to find Korsak and punch him in his fat gut for getting you all riled up. So one of Maura's neighbours had had a heart attack or something and had expended his last breaths frantically trying to get to the doctor who wasn't even home. Or some desperate housewife with a…_

"Jane." There it was again…_Jane. _Cavanagh put a firm hand on her shoulder pulling her from the strange musings of her panicked brain.

"I think we need to speak to Korsak." He said. She let him guide her forwards, flashing their badges at the unfamiliar officer securing the scene. It was only then that she realised that Brookline was technically outside their jurisdiction. Why had Boston homicide been called to this scene at all?

A strange car was parked in the driveway. Korsak was stood to the side of it talking on the phone. He ended the call abruptly as he saw them making their way towards him.

"Korsak?"

"Jane."

_Okay enough! _

"What's with the 'Jane'? Tell me what the hell is going on… right noooOOO" She didn't recognise her own voice as she caught sight of the body splayed on the floor, honey blonde hair surrounding the back of a head that was turned away from her, facing the house.

"It's…it can't be…she…" No words. No sentences. No - anything._ This is not happening._

"Jane…" Korsak put a hand on her back, Cavanagh put a hand on her shoulder.

"Shit Vince...this is messed up!" _Cavanagh_.

"I know Sean." _Korsak._

"Jane…" her old partner tried again. She snapped out of her paralysis. She was being managed, they were managing her. She shrugged off their hands.

"That's not her car!" she shook her head, "her flight didn't even get in yet, look at what…look at the clothes…Mau…" She couldn't say the name. "She would never wear something like that!" She was desperate.

"I ran the plates, it's a rental car from Logan" said Korsak. "I'm sorry Jane, it's definitely…"

"No, NO Korsak!…she just texted me less than an hour ago" she said reaching for her phone. Damn she'd left the useless implement back at the café.

She wrestled with her brain to come up with an explanation..."It's someone who looks like her, a sister maybe, you remember she's adopted…right…?" He shook his head sadly. _A sister, yes that explains it... _She heard herself, she sounded just like any grieving family member at a crime scene. She dealt with them on a weekly basis. _It's not my husband, he's at work_. _Not my daughter, she's at school_.

She grabbed the hair at the back of her neck and gave it a sharp tug to reign in her emotion. Wild brown eyes turned back to the hideous sight before her.

She had received that text hadn't she? She wasn't sure what she had read now, the screen was cracked, maybe it wasn't even from the M.E. _No, this is unacceptable!_

Korsak and Cavanagh exchanged worried glances.

Frost appeared from across the lawn, he had clearly been retching somewhere as usual. But tonight it wasn't even mildly amusing. Upon seeing Jane he immediately quickened his pace and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Oh Jane." His voice crackled with emotion

"Not you too Frost!" she said pushing him away gently. As her eyes met his, she realised that maybe he had been doing more than vomiting, hidden from view. Tears threatened her own eyes. She rubbed her eyebrows with the thumb and forefinger of her left hand as she attempted to compose herself. She needed all her strength to face what she was about to do next.

She felt three pairs of sympathetic eyes on her and many pairs of strange eyes as she took a shaky step towards the body. They all faded away and with each step she felt herself shutting down.

Bending down to examine the still form, her breath caught in her chest. No amount of self-control, or years of homicide experience could prevent the pained howl that escaped her mouth as she finally accepted the evidence in front of her.

The walls of grief closed in and her knees buckled.

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**So there is chapter 2…eek I hope you're not disappointed. I was highly caffeinated when I wrote this chapter so forgive me. **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Thanks again for reviews.**

**So I confess...I'm a character thief, we all are right? That's what we do here, we TWOC them and play with them for a while. This story is not a crossover with any other series, but my character swag bag will produce the odd recognisable cameo along the way…**

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**Chapter 3**

"Janie." _Frankie. _The Detective allowed herself one more moment of weakness. As he pulled her gently to her feet she buried her head in his shoulder. He held her tightly and rubbed comforting circles on her back. She clung to him. No words needing to be exchanged.

Her stomach rolled.

Abruptly she pushed Frankie to one side and ran to the Jasmine bushes at the side of the house. For the first time in her entire career at a crime scene, Detective Jane Rizzoli relieved herself of the contents of her stomach. And with every heave, the space left behind filled with anger. Anger at Maura for not waiting for Jane to pick her up, anger at Korsak for calling her to this scene, anger at Frost for vomiting in these now mistreated Jasmine bushes, anger at all the staring neighbours and the strange cops…Anger at herself for neglecting to tell Maura how much she loved her before it was too late. Anger at whatever deity would allow harm to come to such a gentle, sweet woman…Rage at the person who's callus actions had stopped that warm loving heart. Fury at herself for not preventing this tragedy.

She needed to find out what had happened.

There was one final thing that she could do for the woman she loved. She could do what she had been born to do. Her job.

Forcing a lid on her anger she walked in a controlled motion to her colleagues.

"Korsak, Frost. What we got?" No emotion, she'd gotten a handle on it.

"Neighbour called it in, three shots fired. Local PD found the…er…body" said Frost.

"Three shots fired?..." she swallowed. "…I only saw two bullet wounds?!"

"The uniforms are still collecting statements, but, what we have so far seems to corroborate three shots!" said Korsak.

"Then where is that third bullet?" She motioned towards a young clean faced cop with red hair. "You! We have a missing bullet, I don't care if it takes you all night I want it found!" The young cop looked towards Korsak.

"You heard the detective, find that bullet!" Korsak didn't tell Jane that he already had someone looking for it. He knew that she needed to feel in control. He admired her focus, Jane was the only woman, hell the only detective he knew who could deal with something like this and then step up to the plate and do her job.

"So what's our working theory?, some disgruntled perp that Dr Isles' testimony helped put away?" Jane said.

"You don't have to do this now Rizzoli, in fact I'm not so sure that you should be doing this at all!"

Cavanagh had been observing her carefully, trying to decipher her state of mind. She was one of his best detectives, but she was also hot-headed and could often get too personally involved in her cases. But this? This was an unimaginable horror. Even he felt like hitting a boxing ring and beating the shit out of someone. Everyone had had a soft spot for the socially awkward M.E.

"I appreciate that Lieutenant, but I _need_ to do this!" She looked expectantly at Frost and Korsak. "So?!"

"Her purse is missing, so it alludes to robbery but the bullet trajectory into the body is more consistent with…"

"A hit!" Jane finished. "Double tap from about twenty feet. Shell casings?"

"Killer must have taken them with him." Korsak said shaking his head.

"Has anyone processed the car?"

"We're still waiting on a warrant, there's a jurisdiction issue"

"Don't worry, I'll call in some favours to get it sorted. She was one of ours, this case belongs to us!" Cavanagh said. Jane thanked him silently. He walked off round the side of the house to make some phonecalls. She turned to her old partner.

"How did you even get in on this so quickly Korsak?" It almost sounded like an accusation. He faced her shocked.

"An old friend from vice, Alec Flanagan called me, he works homicide here, recognised the doc from the papers, only had one case the whole of last year and they felt a little out of their depth. I called Frost and Frankie… I knew you would never forgive me if I didn't call you in on this Rizzoli…I can't imagine…I…I really am sorry, I know you two were…close."

A cell phone camera flashed.

"Can we do something about clearing this circus?" Jane bit out. Gesturing unnecessarily at the crowd of spectators.

"Okay everyone, show's over, if you have already given your statements please clear the scene!" Frankie Rizzoli's voice was strong and authoritative. There were some clucks of disappointment, but the crowd began to thin out.

Jane bit her cheek. She wasn't sure where to go from here and she felt the muffled knocking of her feelings demanding a voice. She hadn't chanced another look at the unmoving form since taking control of herself. She knew she would be lost again if she allowed the macabre tableau to infiltrate her resolve.

At some point while they had been discussing the case, a car had pulled up and another familiar figure had joined the morbid party. He had strode tactlessly straight to the corpse to ply his trade. Anyone paying great attention to his body language might have seen signs of masked joy. But it was the thunder of Jane Rizzoli's response to his presence that drew the awareness of every single person nearby, as furious brown eyes acknowledged him. There was something so dangerous about the way she turned slowly towards him.

"Pike, take your fucking hands off her!" she shouted.

"Detective Rizzoli, I hardly think…"

"Get. The. Fuck. Away. From. Her. right now!," She clenched and unclenched her fists, her head whipped round "You called PIKE?" She accused Frost, Korsak, everyone.

Pike made no move to desist his actions.

"I'm warning you!" She growled.

"Honestly detective, you should show more respect..."

Her emotion spilled over, everything took on a reddish hue as if she were wearing ruby contact lenses, acting on pure instinct, Jane drew her weapon.

"Step away Pike! Don't you fucking touch her or I swear to god I'll put a bullet in your head!"

"Jane, no!" She didn't hear the voices of her people. Her focus was zeroed in on the grey haired pompous buffoon of an M.E.

She didn't hear Frankie's gasp of horror when two of the Brookline cops had drawn their weapons and trained their sites on his sister. She wasn't aware of the panic on her partners faces at the rapidly escalating situation.

Pike turned and whatever he was about to say died on his lips when he took in the sight of the brunette detective. She looked positively feral, her hair was wild around her face where she had been pulling rough hands through it all night, her shirt and pants were covered in a Dali painting of strange stains; coffee, dirt, blood...There was no mistaking the primal look on her face – he realised there was an acute possibility that she may indeed shoot him.

"Lower your weapons now!" Korsak barked at the Brookline cops. He could see the twitching of Frankie Rizzoli's hand and he glared at him, silently forbidding him to draw his weapon. In the confusion, he had missed the scrape of leather against metal that was Frost drawing his weapon in response to the unfamiliar uniforms pulling their guns against his partner.

"Lower your weapons or I will write you all up, you too Frost!"

They complied.

All eyes turned to the wild woman whose gun was still trained on the older medical examiner.

"Rizzoli, let's just talk about this calmly."

"I mean it Korsak, he doesn't get to touch her. I want a female medical examiner!"

"Okay" He nodded and turned to the M.E. "Pike you're off this one."

"What? This is absurd, you don't have the authority to do that!"

"No, but I do!" Cavanagh said appearing from behind the house "now get your ass out of here Pike before I use my authority to order Rizzoli here to put a bullet in it!"

"Well I never!" he grumbled retrieving his kit bag and striding off to his car.

Cavanagh moved purposefully to his distraught detective.

"Give me your gun Jane." He ordered softly. She did. She was broken again. "I'm sorry Rizzoli, you can't work this case!" No protest, a defeated nod. Of course not. What was she thinking? _Need to get away from here, far away, from this house, from these people, from that, over there. _"Frankie take your sister home. We've got this Rizzoli!" _We'll do our very best work._

She sighed. Defeated. Approaching the body one final time she whispered. "I'm sorry Maur, I can't, this is too much."

She moved to join Frankie who led her silently to his car.

* * *

An hour after Frankie and Jane had left, a car pulled up and a perfectly manicured foot in a shoe that was not appropriate at a crime scene stepped out, followed by an outfit that belonged on a Paris runway, the medical examiner had arrived on scene.

Some of the cops supressed wolf whistles as the petite figure hurried to shake hands with the lead detective and introduce herself. "Dr Megan Hunt. I transferred in locally from Philadelphia last month!" Korsak shook her proffered hand before leading the way to the body.

* * *

On the humble balcony, of a room with perfect sea views, in a small hotel along the coast, the very much alive Dr Maura Isles raised her glass in silent toast to the moon. She smiled weakly to herself. This was a very good idea. The sharp sea air was perfect for cleansing her shattered psyche. Taking another sip of the dark burgundy liquid, a delectable French red wine, she sighed. _A very good idea._

A break from the ruins of her perfect life.

She was sat beside a small table, dressed in loose slacks and a warm grey hoodie, her knees pulled up to her chest in comfort. _Very unladylike, Constance would have chastised. _

The position felt safe.

Reassuring.

She took a deep shuddering breath. The tears had stopped about half an hour ago and the emptiness that had followed was heavy.

How could she have misjudged the situation so badly? Some genius! She had been so sure that Jane had felt the same. Been so sure that her proposition was the perfect approach, giving the detective the opportunity to declare her affections without having to voice them. Had she really let herself get swept away by the tidal wave of her own emotions? fabricated evidence in her own mind to support her theory that her romantic feelings for her best friend were reciprocal?

A gust of salty sea air swept passed and she hugged her knees tightly and snuggled into the hoodie. A slight feeling of shame touched at her subconscious. This was not her sweatshirt to wear, and it's owner would certainly be disgusted if she knew how many times the honey blonde had wrapped herself in it's warm embrace and imagined the detectives strong arms around her. But she couldn't help it, she needed it right now, she needed its pretend cuddle, today of all days, when the fantasy of future actual embraces had been shattered.

She thought back to the day when she had worn the faded BPD hoodie for the first time.

* * *

_Three months ago_

_Maura suppressed a carnal growl and concentrated on masking any signs of her sudden arousal. Jane was sauntering towards her with a confident swagger, dressed in black shorts and a white sleeveless vest, a grey hoodie tied casually round her waist. The doctor gulped audibly and her heart thumped in her chest. Her hazel eyes studied the way the vest clung tightly to the pleasing musculature of her friend's torso. It left little to the imagination and she noticed not for the first time, how ripped the detective was. What would it feel like to run a hand over those tight abs or even trace a lazy trail of saliva with her tongue, taste the salty sweetness and…_

"_Maura? Hello are you in there?"_

"_Hmmm?" _

"_Maura? Are you drunk?"_

"_Yes…What?…No…I have not consumed alcohol!"_

_Jane chuckled. _

_She had not missed the look on her friend's face as she strolled across the court to meet her. Though it had now been replaced by adorable confusion, Jane had definitely seen a look that had made her breath catch. She knew that look. it was one that she had caught herself bestowing upon the M.E. many times. Pure, unadulterated, Lust! - Did Maura feel it too?, the desire, the ache for something more?_

"..._do you really think I would be intoxicated when about to participate in a physical activity with you?"_

"_What?" Jane's turn to be caught inside her own thoughts. _

"_Er…let's just hit the court."_

"_Okay I'm ready, I'm your willing pupil, teach me everything, detective sexy-pants."_

"_You mean smarty-pants Maur!" No she most certainly did not. _

_She smiled her most innocent smile._

"_ooops..."_

"_Come on!" Jane ruffled the honey blonde's hair affectionately._

_They had come to a basketball court near the precinct so that Jane could teach Maura how to play one on one._

_Two hours later, exhausted, Maura attempted a run at the brunette. Turning into a block, Jane knocked the M.E. to the ground. They both broke into laughter. Jane reached a toned arm down and Maura clasped it. As she was tugged to her feet with a little too much force, her body collided gently with her rescuer and her face came to rest within millimetres of the brunettes. Hazel eyes dissolved in Brown pools. Breathing slowed. Nobody moved. And just when it seemed they might kiss... Jane pulled back._

"_Maur, you're shaking, Here… take my hoody." She untied the sweater at her waist and pulled it over the honey blonde head. The medical examiner was still caught up in the moment, stunned, she allowed herself to be dressed, reminding her lungs to breath. Surrounded now by the scent of her secret love, Maura began to shake even more. Jane straightened the collar and whispered huskily in her friends ear. "Come on lets go. Beer at the Robber?!" Without waiting for an answer she strode off leaving Maura to follow, unable to form a coherent thought._

* * *

The memory brought fresh tears and Maura gave in to the sobs that once again overwhelmed her at the loss of her dreams. She made a decision, _a weekend of crying and wallowing _and then 'The Queen of the Dead' would make a return appearance. She _would_ be able to face Jane on Monday and conceal all signs of her broken heart.

* * *

**So another chapter down… Thoughts? All comments greatly appreciated...**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Thanks for messages I treasure them all. **

**I'm glad you were all happy to know Maura was alive.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"You ran a tight ship here doctor, very impressive, well respected amongst your team and I've got to say - nice office, impeccable taste."

This was a hard case to work, pathologists weren't supposed to end up on their own tables. Megan couldn't help but take it personally. So here she was on a Saturday morning in an unfamiliar morgue about to do an autopsy on a stranger whose life struck a familiar chord with her own.

It takes an exceptional person to devote their lives to speaking for the dead. Now someone had to speak for this woman and Dr Megan Hunt was that someone.

"I'm sorry this happened to you…" Megan touched a gentle hand to the cold fore-head and smoothed a hand over the honey blonde hair. "I promise that I will do everything in my power to help catch the person who did this."

She looked at the clock.

The detectives that were supposed to be joining her for the autopsy were late. Normally the red haired doctor would react very harshly to tardiness, but in this case she couldn't help but empathise. They probably needed a little more time than usual to gather the strength to be here for this one. This was no ordinary victim - this was their colleague and friend.

The door to the morgue opened and in walked Detectives Frost and Korsak both looking decidedly uncomfortable, they averted their eyes from the naked form on the table. Megan had draped a sheet from the waist down to preserve some modesty, but there was no getting around the need for the chest to be exposed.

"Gentlemen." She acknowledged.

She stretched out the fingers of her right hand, a habit that she had picked up since a car accident had affected the nerves in her hands. _First things first _She went to work retrieving the bullets. She was only able to recover one of the bullets by hand, it had been lodged slightly to the left of the sternum. She placed it in a clear evidence cup and screwed the lid.

"Nine millimetre."

"I'll run that across to ballistics." Frost said, relieved to have a reason to excuse himself. Korsak and Megan both nodded. He took the cup keeping his eyes from the table and left the room.

She picked up the scalpel and made the familiar Y. Folding back to skin to expose the ribcage she heard a grunt behind her.

She turned to face the older detective.

"You know Detective Korsak, my report will be very detailed - you don't have to be here for this. I will type the report as soon as I finish here and I will call you when it's ready."

"Er…Thanks Doc." He turned and left immediately.

"They cared about you." She told the figure on the table. She set to work removing the breast plate, sawing through the ribs with the small circular saw. Once removed she began weighing and cataloguing the organs. As expected the other bullet had penetrated the heart. She placed it in another evidence cup, ready to be taken to ballistics.

Usually the labs would be nearly deserted over the weekend and results would have to wait. But it seemed that everyone was going over and above on this one.

She continued the autopsy methodically and with even more respect than usual. Stomach contents – burger, fries, and what appeared to be a doughnut or cake of some kind, the lab would confirm. A strange choice for a doctor, certainly nothing that she herself would partake in, she could only imagine the chemicals contained in such food. _Not for me to judge._

An hour later she pulled the sheet up to cover the face. One of the criminalists - Chang she'd said her name was - had taken all of the evidence collected through to the lab. She had promised that a rush would be put on all the results.

Megan shuddered a little at the morbidity of it, as she sat down at the chief medical examiners desk to type up her report. The minute she finished, she dialled the number Korsak had given her and informed him that the report was ready.

Ten minutes later and both he and Frost were sat listening intently as she ran through her findings with them. It was as they'd expected. Cause of death – exsanguination from two penetrating chest wounds.

They both expressed surprise over the stomach contents, but made a note to investigate burger places between Logan Airport and the house in Brookline. Maybe someone had seen the doc? Maybe even saw somebody following her? A long shot but right now they didn't have much to go on.

"She hated other people sitting in her chair." said a small voice from the doorway.

All eyes turned towards Jane.

"You shouldn't be here. Cavanagh said you had to take the week off." Korsak said not unkindly.

"I know, but I can't stand it at home, Ma won't stop fussing and crying, please, I won't try to work the case... I just wanted to know if there was any progress?"

It was almost imperceptible, but she was definitely slurring.

Korsak and Frost exchanged worried glances.

"It can't hurt to have another mind on this." Megan said. She had vacated the chair and now moved to lean on the edge of the desk. "Detective Rizzoli I presume? Dr Megan Hunt, call me Megan." Jane smiled a weak thank you at the M.E. "We were just running through the autopsy results."

As they resumed discussion of the case, Megan studied the brunette with a clinical eye. She was clearly inebriated. The darkness around her eyes showed that she hadn't slept. And there was a haunted look on her face that Megan knew she wouldn't have seen had she met the woman a few days before. She had winced slightly at mention of the autopsy. And, judging by what she'd heard of the detectives conduct at the crime scene…This was not ordinary grief… She'd bet her car that this woman had been in love with Dr Isles.

Jane looked over the written report. Something caught her eye.

"Fast food?" she said out loud.

"Maybe she was hungry and pulled into a drive-thru on the way home from the airport." Frost said.

"Maybe." she frowned. _Didn't everyone indulge in junk now and again? _She felt a sharp pain as her mind wandered to some of the thoughts that had kept her awake all night. _She thought I hadn't gone to pick her up, that I'd rejected her. _Had she been so distraught that she couldn't be bothered to eat properly? _She died thinking that I didn't want her. I should have told her years ago…_

The shrill sound of the phone ringing interrupted her painful thoughts.

It was so very wrong to hear someone else answer that phone.

"Dr Hunt!...Yes…ahuh…okay…thank you," She replaced the handset. "Well Detective Korsak, I think I might know where your missing bullet is!"

"Yeah?"

"Dr Isles hands tested positive for GSR."

"Gunshot residue, are you crazy?" Jane said loudly.

"Are you sure?" Frost said, trying to cover for Jane's rudeness.

"Absolutely certain, and, as a there wasn't a third bullet recovered from the scene, it's possible that the bullet is inside the killer."

"So we need to check with local hospitals…"

"Have you heard yourselves? - this is Maura we're talking about, she didn't shoot somebody!"

"The science doesn't lie Detective Rizzoli!"

"I'm telling you, the science is mistaken!...Why the hell did you order a GSR test anyway?!" Jane growled.

Frost put a hand on her shoulder and she swiped it away angrily. She felt the rage beginning to take over again. Frost looked to Korsak to intervene but the diffusion came from an unlikely source.

"You can threaten to shoot me if you'd like detective, but it won't change the facts. I'm not trying to harm the reputation of your friend, I am simply doing my job" Megan said calmly.

Jane blushed slightly and looked down at her hands.

"It doesn't make sense." _She didn't even own a gun._

"I'm sorry, this is understandably very difficult for you."

Jane shook her head as if to clear it. Her head was fuzzy from the beers she had consumed instead of breakfast. This was wrong, everything about this was wrong. This was not how things were supposed to turn out. She should be having lunch with the woman of her dreams right now, not discussing her murder.

"We're still waiting on blood results from the scene, if the killer left some blood then maybe we can get a hit on CODIS."

"Okay, thanks doc, keep us informed!"

Frost and Korsak excused themselves, leaving Jane alone with the red haired M.E.

"Can I see her?"

"I'm sorry, I haven't closed up yet. I wanted to get the report done as quickly as possible."

"Oh…" The thought of Maura exposed, chest open, on the autopsy table made her stomach lurch.

The beer was starting to wear off and the dull ache of raw emotional pain was starting to seep back into her consciousness.

"Perhaps you should go and get something to eat and, might I suggest some coffee detective."

Keen now to escape the familiar office and the agony of the memories it evoked - Jane nodded and left.

* * *

Later that day in BRIC

"No match on the bullet." Frost said replacing the handset on the phone. It was not unexpected, the murder was almost definitely a hit and in such cases the killer usually had the sense to use an untraceable weapon.

"Frankie called while you were on the phone, he's not having any luck with the fast food restaurants." said Korsak.

Frankie had driven out to the airport and was driving the route to the doctor's house and questioning staff at the burger joints that he found along the way.

"Man, this case is so awful, we need to find something soon…did you see her Korsak? she looked like shit and she had been drinking at that time of the morning…maybe I should go and check that she's okay."

"The best thing we can do for her right now is to catch the son of a bitch that did this. We're already a detective down and this case is a tough one. Angela will take care of her."

Frost sighed. "You're right."

He picked up his phone and looked down at the list he had printed containing the numbers of the local hospitals and medical centres. He had crossed off those that he had managed to contact. Cavanagh came out of his office before he got halfway through punching the number of the next on the list.

"One of you needs to get across to the Robber right now! I just got a call that Rizzoli and Crowe are taking chunks out of each other!"

Both Korsak and Frost jumped up at the same time. After a silent battle, Korsak conceded.

"Call me and let me know what's going on, I'll call Angela."

Frost nodded as he ran out of the door.

Cavanagh shook his head.

"Do you think she can get back from this Vince?"

"I don't know Sean, I hope so."

* * *

"Oh my baby!" Angela's voice cut through the fog of the alcohol and sedatives. Jane looked up in time to hold up a weak hand and delay the inevitable hugging. "Where is the doctor? why isn't someone dealing with her injuries?" Angela looked at the brutal cuts on her daughters face - a nasty split across her left cheekbone, and a matching one over her left eyebrow.

Jane's eyes fogged over and she seemed to drift off to sleep.

"They had to sedate her, it took two security guards, me and a doctor to restrain her when we first got here." Frost smiled despite the seriousness of the situation. "I think the doctors are a little afraid of her."

"What happened? Vince said she was fighting?"

"Yes, from what I can make out, Crowe was being his usual unpleasant self, he said something derogatory about Dr Isles and Jane took him out."

"At the station?"

"No, they were at the Robber." He shook his head in disgust "He had been complaining all day about being called in on his day off. Korsak nearly cracked him one earlier for being disrespectful, I don't know exactly what he said in front of Jane, but I'm sure he had it coming. He won't live this fight down easily - he was out boxed by a girl, and a drunk one at that."

"Do you think this is amusing Barry?, look at the state of her, she…"

"Give it a rest Ma…" Jane said.

Angela turned to look into the dazed brown eyes.

"So young lady, threatening to shoot your colleagues, getting drunk and laying into people, I'm supposed to ignore that behaviour?... I can't imagine what you must be going through, but you're gonna get yourself hurt. What am I supposed to do with you?" She started crying.

"Ma, please."

"Er…Mrs Rizzoli, maybe you can chase down a doctor, they said those cuts on her face needed stitches." Angela nodded, she blew her nose loudly, wiped her tears, and then left.

The drapes swished behind her and Jane thanked Frost silently before drifting again.

When Angela returned she brought with her a handsome doctor with a designer beard. He grinned when he took in the sight of the roughed up Detective.

"Janie, this is Dr Sloan he's a fancy plastic surgeon from New York, he's visiting the hospital to do some teaching and he has some time available to treat your face."

"Ma just get a normal doctor to stitch me up, I'm pretty sure the force's medical insurance doesn't cover a plastic surgery consultation, no offence."

"Miss Rizzoli you're in luck." He said in a rich baritone.

"It's detective Rizzoli!"

He smiled, _hot!_

"_Detective_ Rizzoli, I am the best Plastic Surgeon this side of the ocean, and probably in the world. And you get to look into this handsome face as I suture those lacerations" He winked "I'll make sure that there will be no scar on your cheek and that cut above your eye will heal to leave a very minute, but very sexy scar… and the best part, is that hot police chicks that get into drunken bar brawls get my services for free!"

"Oh Dr Sloan…" Angela gushed. Frost smiled.

"Whatever." Jane grumbled.

An hour later and the charismatic doctor had completed his magic.

Frost had left and Angela was sat at her daughter's bedside.

A nurse had been in and dressed the hand wounds, she had been apparently lucky - though her knuckles were swollen and scraped, she hadn't broken any bones. The doctor had recommended that she stay overnight as there was some slight concussion. The fact that she also needed to sleep off the sedatives and the alcohol had gone unsaid.

Jane turned to her mother.

"It hurts Ma...it hurts so much!" she said softly.

"I know baby, I know." And they both knew she wasn't talking about her injuries.

* * *

**So I know that some of you are desperate for the whole mess to get cleared up, but I just felt they needed to marinade in it a little bit longer…**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Thanks for comments and for reading. **

* * *

Chapter 5

At around 3.00am Sunday morning Jane fumbled with her key to Maura's house, opening the door, she switched on the lights and tested her psychological pain barrier as she looked around the familiar living room.

She was weary, it had taken her just over two hours to walk here from the hospital and the walk, coupled with the aches and pains of her fist fight with Crowe. were taking its toll.

She had managed a couple of fitful hours of rest at the hospital, but had awoke in a cold sweat from a haunting nightmare. She couldn't get back to sleep. Her mother snoring in the guest chair at the side of the bed hadn't helped.

Leaving her mother sleeping she had checked out against medical advice.

When she'd set off walking she hadn't really planned to end up here of all places, but she was somehow drawn to the place. She needed to feel close to Maura.

This house had been her safe harbour in the last few years, the place that she always fled to when she was in pain or needed comfort. It looked exactly as it did before, but somehow it was completely different, as if someone had flicked a switch and the whole house had changed to black and white instead of the glorious Technicolor it once was.

She took a tentative step over the threshold. A million memories swarmed around her like killer bees and attacked her from all sides, shooting jolts of pain through her. _Why the hell did you come here? _

_I need a drink._

She steeled herself against the emotional fire that threatened to engulf her and crossed through into the kitchen to the refrigerator, it was always well stocked with her favourite brand of beer. She took out a couple of bottles, and ignoring the burning of the bubbles in her throat she downed the first in several gulps. '_Jane, how unladylike!' _said Maura's voice in her head.

"Shhh…" Jane told the voice.

She took a large swig of the second bottle and felt a comfortable numbness begin to settle in. The beer was working its anaesthetic magic throughout her body, smothering both physical and emotional pain. She sank exhausted to the floor, her back against the refrigerator. She was falling apart, she knew it. Stuck in a tumble dryer of emotions, ranging from extreme anger to extreme desolation, it was so cliché, but alcohol was the only dampener.

"I don't know what to do without you Maur…" she informed the kitchen. "You were always the one to make me feel better right from that very first day…"

* * *

_In a rare moment of weakness the brunette was crying gently, shoulders slumped, alone, at a bus stop. _

_Maybe it was the hooker outfit that made her feel weak, but when she had been told that she had been passed up for homicide again, she had taken it badly. The job was a boys club across most departments, but homicide was even harder to get into. She hated vice, and it seemed like she would be here forever. _

_She hadn't busted her ass to get her detective shield to then be stuck tramping the streets in knee high boots, short skirts and cheap perfume. __She needed to hit the shooting range to blow off steam, at some point this week._

_She dried her eyes with a hanky and cursed the bus that was late. Frankie had borrowed her car to drive their parents to visit with relatives up the coast. Having slept late and being in a hurry to get to work this morning, she had left her locker keys in the glove compartment. That had set the tone for the day, even at the end of her shift she couldn't change out of her 'vice uniform' as she called it. And worse, that asshole Stanley hadn't let her grab any food, pretending he didn't know who she was. So she was starving._

_She shivered at the cold and cursed as the Boston weather decided to add to her misery with a sudden down pour of torrential rain. More tears of frustration rolled down her cheeks, this day couldn't end fast enough. At least Miller had given her bus fare or she'd be walking home._

_A car pulled up next to her._

"_Can I offer you a lift somewhere?" A husky voice came from a light blue convertible. _

"_I'm off the clock." She said indignantly._

"_Er…I…meant a literal lift, not…er…I'm a doctor… I work at the police station…" came the stuttered reply. Peering into the car, Jane recognised the honey blonde from earlier that day at the café, the woman had kindly offered to pay for her coffee. _

"_Please! It's so cold and you are not dressed appropriately for the weather, I would feel terrible if I left you here like this…"_

_Maybe it was the shy smile, maybe it was pleading look in the warm hazel eyes, maybe it was the fact that she was freezing and hungry and feeling rejected - meaning her defences were down. Whatever it was, Jane decided to take the ride. _

"O_kay." She opened the passenger door and when she saw a plastic sheet covering the seat she rolled her eyes. "I told you before, I don't have lice!"_

_Maura smiled a sheepish smile. "Um...you seem to have gotten rather wet in the rain…" she explained._

"_Oh…I see...sorry," Jane said getting in. She hadn't realised how soaked she was from the rain. Maura reached behind her seat a pulled out a soft woollen blanket._

"_Here…" She gave it to Jane, who accepted it gratefully. "So where to?"_

"_Oh shit!" My house keys are in the car…damn it Frankie why can't you get your own car._

"_I beg your pardon?"_

"_I'm sorry, I just realised that I don't have my house keys."_

"_Well that is rather unfortunate."_

"_And my family are out of town, shit!"_

_The doctor looked at the brunette shivering under the blanket, wet curls plastered to her head. She seemed to be in a desperate position, she made a rash decision. _

"_Well, if you promise to mind your language, you are welcome to my guest room!"_

"_Did you really just invite a woman you just met, a hooker, to spend the night with you?" The detective said incredulously._

_The honey blonde chuckled._

"_Yes I suppose I did, but I specified guest room, remember. I trust you. You have an honest face!" a very charming, honest face._

_Jane shook her head. The naïveté of some people! She was in a bind really and technically the doctor was a work colleague, even if she didn't know it. And she didn't seem to be suggesting anything dubious. What else are you going to do Rizzoli? _

_Plus she felt an inexplicable pull towards this generous woman._

"_Okay, I suppose."_

"_I'm Maura by the way, Tiffany was it?" Jane missed the smile that graced the doctors lips._

"_Uh yeah."_

_A silence settled in the car. Both lost in their respective thoughts. Jane studied Maura's profile as she drove. People like this really exist? People who aren't so self-obsessed and bitter at life that they would show kindness to a stranger? She suddenly felt embarrassed by her conduct at lunchtime._

"_Sorry about before…at the café. I didn't mean to be so rude, I just get a lot of creeps offering me money at the moment!" she muttered._

"_No it was me… I'm not very good with people, my approach lacked discretion."_

_The silence resumed._

_When they arrived at the house Maura directed Jane to the guest room and, pointing out the bathroom, she insisted that Jane take a shower to warm up after the cold rain. When Jane returned to the guestroom wrapped in a bathrobe, she smiled at the clean clothing left out on the bed for her. She dressed in the pants and sweater and headed downstairs to the kitchen._

_Her senses were immediately assaulted by the smell of something delicious cooking. Her stomach growled._

"_Wow, that smells amazing!"_

"_Thanks, I'm a rather proficient cook, it will be ready in a few minutes, I poured you some wine!"_

_Jane looked at the large glass of red wine._

"_Are you trying to get me drunk?"_

"_What? No of course not…I just…" The honey blonde stuttered. Jane regretted the statement immediately when she saw the distress register on the doctors face._

"_Relax, I was joking!"_

"_Oh…I'm sorry, I find humour rather challenging at times."_

_Jane took a seat at the breakfast bar and sipped at the wine. She wasn't really a fan, she preferred beer but she wanted to be polite. She watched Maura stirring pans and humming, it was endearing. The warm feeling of being taken care of washed over her unexpectedly. It had been so long since anyone had done anything this nice for her and it felt especially good after the hideous day she'd had. How did I luck upon such a sweet person?_

_Maura finished the cooking and dished up. They ate a wonderful meal and chatted until late in the evening and though the conversation was polite and rather superficial, both felt a strange magnetism towards each other. Maura had avoided any discussion regarding work and Jane had felt guilty about her deception, it suddenly bothered her that the good doctor thought she was a hooker, but she couldn't think of a way to correct the pretence without looking like a douche for allowing it to continue for so long._

_Later as Jane was folding down the bed clothes there was a slight tap at the door. _

"_Come in." _

"_I made you some hot chocolate." _

"_Wow, Thanks." Jane smiled, could you be any more perfect?_

_Maura was very pleased with herself. It made her happy to see the brunette smiling, especially after the way she had looked so dejected at the bus stop. She didn't understand the lure of hot chocolate personally, but she had guessed well that it would be comforting for her guest. _

"_Goodnight Maura!"_

"_Goodnight...oh and by the way, I do hope that you weren't wearing a wire when I picked you up earlier Detective Rizzoli, I do have a reputation to uphold." She chuckled at the brunette's shocked expression and left the room._

* * *

Finishing the second bottle of beer Jane could feel the pull of sleep becoming overwhelming, she stumbled drunkenly towards the stairs. She used her hands to pull herself up them, wincing as the bandages on her knuckles rubbed against the tender skin.

She crawled into Maura's bed. Should she feel ashamed of herself for letting herself into a dead woman's home and then daring to seek comfort in that woman's bed?, she wasn't sure, rational thought had left her two days ago when she had seen that body. Her thoughts became even murkier as fatigue wrestled to shut down her brain.

She adjusted the pillow and her hand closed around a piece of material concealed beneath it, she pulled it out confused. It was a Boston Red Sox t-shirt, correction, it was _her_ Boston Red Sox t-shirt. _Why would she have my t-shirt under her pillow? oh… Maura that's so cute._

Nothing could stop the tears then, as she curled into the fetal position and gave in to the pressures of grief and exhaustion.

* * *

Jane awoke to the sound of a bear growling. Disorientated, she surveyed her surroundings. Through the haze of a hangover she was shocked to realise she was in her own bed. The growling was coming from somewhere to her right. She peered over the side of the bed to find that the deep rumbling was in fact coming from Frankie who was curled up in a sleeping bag on the floor, snoring.

"Frankie, what the hell?"

"Janie?" He said sleepily, he stretched out uncomfortably, rubbing a hand to his eyes.

"What are you doing here, what am _I _doing here?"

"You don't remember?" he said, concern evident in his voice.

"Remember what?"

"You called me in the early hours of this morning from Maura's house, you were screaming about ghosts and all kind of crazy things…when I got there you were sitting in the driveway, near where, you know…and you were just rocking and crying. I had to carry you into the car, it was real scary."

"Oh." _How can I not remember that? Is this what a breakdown feels like? _Looking at the troubled expression on her brother's face she felt ashamed. He was used to her being strong and seeing her like this was obviously scaring him. "Sorry." She managed weakly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a train, I've been knocking them back quite a bit these last few days." She sighed.

"What can I do?"

"Coffee would be nice." she faked a smile.

He got up and headed to the door.

"You got it…by the way, I saw Crowe, nice work."

They both grinned.

Jane brought an unconscious hand to the stiches on her face.

* * *

Later after making sure his sister was comfortable, Frankie got set to head in to the station. There was a murderer to catch, he hoped that the closure of solving the case would somehow pull his sister through some of the darkness. Though he knew, she would never be the same again.

On his way out the door he turned to Jane who was sat pretending to watch ESPN.

"I'll be back to check on you later, Ma was really pissed that you left the hospital, but I managed to convince her that I'm capable of making sure you're alright, she shouldn't bother you until tomorrow at the earliest!"

"Hmmm." Was the only reply.

As the door closed behind her brother, Jane headed to the fridge to grab a beer.

* * *

"How's Jane?" said Frost as Frankie walked into Homicide.

"Not so good, I've never seen her like this before, not even after all that crazy shit with Hoyt! - Anything new on the case?"

"No, we're still waiting on some of the lab results, we're hoping that the perp left some blood at the scene. If he did, Dr Hunt will find it, she's been here all weekend, came in early this morning, she's certainly pulling out all the stops for us."

"Any luck with the hospitals?"

Frost shook his head.

"Not so far, but unfortunately, if you know how to find them, there are plenty of doctors willing to treat patients illicitly for a fee."

"Sorry Frankie, didn't realise you were here!" said Korsak as he came in carrying two cups of coffee, he placed one on Frosts desk and then went to sit at his own.

"'S'okay"

"How's Jane?"

Frankie shook his head in response.

* * *

It was another really long day that disclosed very little.

The crime techs had processed the hire car and found nothing, it had been wiped clean. Frost had completed his calls to the local hospitals and had even expanded his list to some further out. Nothing. The bloodwork was taking time as Megan had said that it was like trying to find a drop of water in an ocean full of water.

As he shut down his computer just after 10 o' clock that night, Frost kicked his trash can across the room in frustration. Jane needed them to do what she herself could not and he knew that they were letting her down. He sincerely hoped that tomorrow would bring the break they needed to crack the case.

* * *

Jane's desk phone was ringing when Frost entered the office on Monday morning, he answered it. When he finished the call fifteen minutes later he was both alarmed and confused.

"Korsak, you gotta hear this."

Korsak looked up from the case notes he was studying.

"What?"

"That was Gabriel Dean, he wanted the number for Dr Isles, I told him what had happened, he was shocked. Apparently an FBI team were assigned to watch Paddy Doyle in Prison, they've been secretly filming all his visits with a hidden camera and monitoring all contact, trying to figure out how he's been running the docks from solitary." He rubbed the back of his head. "One of the agents running the operation has disappeared, bank accounts cleared out, everything. This morning when they were reviewing last weeks footage they found a huge gap, they checked the visitor logs and records say that Paddy had a visit from Dr Isles. The missing Agent – Special Agent Evan Jackson was the only one to witness the visitation, so nobody knows what it was about and you know Doyle, he won't let on."

"What the hell?"

"I know, but Dr Isles was supposed to be at that medical conference, right?"

"We need to check her attendance there." said Korsak. Frost nodded.

"You know Korsak, we've been coming at this thing all wrong, we didn't even consider the Paddy Doyle connection for a suspect!"

"You're right, we've been letting our emotions cloud our judgement, we've been so worried about Rizzoli that we haven't been working the case properly. How could we have missed something so obvious? she's gonna kick our butts!"

"What if Dr Isles' relationship with Doyle was being manipulated by someone, she could have gotten herself into a serious situation that ended up getting her killed."

Their musings were interrupted by Korsak's phone beeping a text.

"It's Dr Hunt... she's got the latest blood results back, I'll meet you down there in ten, I want to fill Cavanagh in on the FBI situation."

* * *

"So, as expected the majority of the blood at the scene belonged to Dr Isles, it took a while but we managed to find a second contributor!" Megan smiled excitedly "I ran it through CODIS and got match for an FBI agent of all people."

"Let me guess; Special Agent Evan Jackson." Frost said drawing an informed conclusion.

"How did you know?" He didn't miss the look of slight disappointment on her face.

He filled her in on the conversation he'd had with Agent Dean. They were both deep in discussion and missed the sound of something being dropped down the hallway outside the room.

Frost heard the sound of someone coming to stand in the doorway, expecting it to be Korsak.

Then a very familiar female voice said;

"I don't mean to be rude, but why are you sitting in my chair?!"


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N So here is the next chapter thanks so much for following and messaging. **

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Late Monday morning.

Maura took a deep breath as she entered the foyer at the station. _You can do this Maura Isles. _

She felt sexy and confident. Having driven straight into town from the hotel, she had stopped off on the way to the precinct to purchase a new outfit. A little retail therapy had felt good. She smoothed a hand down her thigh, loving the feel of the luxurious material of the dress, a daring Sharere Lutz. Slightly more cleavage than she would normally wear for work in the lab, but it was still tasteful. A new pair of Jimmy Choos and the Kate Spade purse she had bought in Seattle completed the look.

She looked amazing and she knew it. Several cat calls from a construction site and two taxi drivers knew it. The barista at the coffee shop where she bought a quick latte knew it. And the parking attendant outside the station knew it. _Take a good look at me in this dress Jane Rizzoli and then tell me that you don't want to drag me into the nearest supply closet and ravish me!_

She took another steadying breath.

Nobody knew the agony she had gone through this weekend, they couldn't see the pain that lingered just below the surface, threatening to consume her again. No - it was well hidden behind years of practice of masking all emotion.

She felt the stares as she walked confidently towards the elevator. _I know, Dr Isles is hot right? _She smiled, but the smile faltered a little as she registered the looks on the staring faces, shock - horror even. Several people were staring straight at her, mouths open.

She turned her back to them suddenly nervous, and brought a hand to her chest, half expecting to find that her breasts had somehow become exposed, despite the improbability of it. _No still covered._

She pressed the button, silently willing the elevator to come quickly, it did.

As the elevator doors closed on the staring faces she fumbled nervously with her purse, disturbed by the strange attention. _That wasn't the reaction I was going for._

It had been her intention to go to Jane's desk first thing and say a friend-like good morning, get it over with. But, the incident in the foyer had unnerved her_. _She pressed the basement button deciding to collect herself in her office before facing the detective. _Coward._

As she stepped out of the elevator she was startled by a gasp and the crashing tinkle of broken glass. She looked up to see Suzie Chang staring at her in shock. She had been carrying a replenishment stock of test tubes for the lab, now unrecognisable shards of glass, twinkling in the hallway.

"You need to be more careful Senior Criminalist Chang, those beakers are expensive!"

When the criminalist continued to stare, Maura furrowed her eyebrows and moved past her silently, heading for her office. _What is wrong with everyone?_

If the strange behaviour of people around her so far had been confusing, she was absolutely stunned at the scene in her office. A strange red haired woman was sitting at _her_ desk, in _her_ chair, talking animatedly to Frost as if she belonged there.

"I don't mean to be rude, but why are you sitting in my chair?!" she said.

The conversation stopped abruptly and two pairs of eyes looked towards her.

"Huh…Well that explains a lot," said Megan simply.

Frost turned white, his eyes rolled wildly and then he slumped gracefully to the floor.

"Frost!" He was unconscious. "What just happened…?" said Maura as she knelt down to check his vitals. She was baffled.

"Situational syncope if I'm not mistaken." said Megan

The redhead looked to the doorway at a rather confused Suzie Chang, who had followed the doctor slowly down the hallway, trying to decide if she was an ectoplasmic manifestation. "Suzie, could you get Detective Frost some water please, and if you could tend to him while I speak to Dr Isles?"

"Of course doctor." she replied softly, though her eyes remained fixed upon the honey blonde.

"Dr Isles I think you had better come with me!" said Megan

"What?…How do you know Suzie?…I don't understand…what is going on? Who _are_ you?"

"Forgive me, I seem to have forgotten my manners, my name is Dr Hunt, Megan… If you'd like to follow me into the morgue, there is something that you really need to see for yourself!"

She walked through the door into the morgue without further explanation leaving Maura no choice but to follow, stunned. _This is so bizarre. _

* * *

Jane awoke on the sofa to the sound of her mother's fists pounding on the door. The sound echoed through her hangover like dull jabs to the side of her head.

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli, you open this door right now, I know you're in there!"

"Ugh" she groaned and had the forethought to hide the tequila bottle down the side of the couch before answering the door.

"What do you want Ma?" she said squinting at the light from the hallway. Her mother pushed passed her.

"Is that any way to speak to your mother?...I've come to make you breakfast, I want to make sure you're eating something." Angela gasped as she took in the empty beer bottles on the counter.

"I can take care of myself Ma!"

"Have you been drinking? The doctor said you shouldn't drink on your antibiotics!"

"Ugh… relax Ma, he said it wouldn't kill me remember, all he said was that it would increase the potency and I should go easy!"

"Eight bottles of beer that I can see, that's not going easy!"

"Stay out of it Ma!"

"I most certainly will not. I know that things are hard right now, but you can't just check out Janie…she wouldn't…"

"No! Do not speak about her!" she snapped cutting her mother off.

"But…"

"I mean it Ma, by all means make pancakes, sterilise the apartment, whatever. But if you mention her again I will forcibly remove you."

"Jane Clem.."

"Don't!" She raised a warning hand. Her hangover was beginning to throb even harder behind her eyes. Her whole body was protesting the abuse she had laid on it over the past few days, not helped by a rough night on the couch. She glared at her mother, who seemed to consider her daughter carefully before deciding to back off.

"Well I haven't got long any way. Mr Stanley gave me the morning off but he said I had to be in for the lunchtime rush. I'll see if I can get Frankie or Tommy to come over…"

"I don't need a sitter!"

Jane made her way back to the couch, her stomach was queasy, she wasn't sure when she had eaten last. There was an empty pizza box on the floor, Frankie must have brought it round last night she guessed. _I must have eaten some of it! _She tried to remember. _Nothing. _For the second time in two days, her memory betrayed her. Last night was a complete blank, she didn't even remember taking out the tequila.

It was alarming, she knew that some people experienced memory loss after drinking, but it had never happened to her before. She placed a bandaged hand on the side of her head and rubbed it up and down, willing clarity to return. It only served to increase the severity of her hangover.

She looked at the hand, it blurred before her eyes. She was suddenly glad that she was sitting down, maybe she _shouldn't_ be drinking with the antibiotics. Maybe she shouldn't be drinking at _all_.

Her mouth felt dry, but she didn't trust herself to get up. If she collapsed in front of her mother, then there'd be no getting rid of her.

As if Angela had read her mind, she came from the kitchen holding a glass of water.

"Here drink this, no excuses, I can only imagine what your head must feel like this morning after all that beer."

"Thanks." Jane took the glass and swallowed a big gulp. If the older woman was shocked when she didn't meet with the usual defiance, she didn't show it.

The water felt good, refreshing.

"I'll get breakfast on, go and clean yourself up, there's no real nice way of saying this honey but you smell."

Jane pulled a face. Her mother was probably right, though she had changed into her clean gym sweats at some point, she hadn't actually showered since Friday morning.

Chancing getting to her feet, she found that some stability in her body had returned. But her stomach amplified it's rebellion as the water she had just drank sloshed around, disturbing the remnants of alcohol. Her mouth that had just a second ago been so dry, filled with saliva.

She managed to get to the bathroom in time and turned on the shower to mask the sounds of her vomiting, the last thing she needed was her mother fussing.

When it was over, she felt the relief of a stomach who, pleased with it's insurgence, had settled down to rest a little.

She flushed the evidence away. _Ugh, well I think I can safely deduct that I did eat pizza at some point last night._

Brushing her teeth she grimaced as the sudden peppermint assault made her want to gag. She spat the foamy white bubbles into the sink and upon looking up, caught sight of herself in the mirror. She gasped audibly. _Geez Rizzoli you look like shit. No wonder everyone is treating you like __you've lost it._

The near sobriaty allowed other thoughts to creep in...

She had lost it hadn't she? - 'It' being the most precious gift in her life. The wonderful presence that had entered her world unexpectedly, wrapped her in the warmth of unconditional love. Protected her from a darkness that she hadn't even noticed had begun to consume her. And, ensured, that even in the worst corners of hell, of any given day, a blossom smiled. _Rizzoli don't think about her…_

It hit without warning. Pictures, like a revolving poster board.

A corpse with honey blonde hair.

Smiling hazel eyes.

Blood soaked lawn.

A sexy pout.

Two gunshot wounds.

_Dead...gone...murdered._

She clutched at her chest. Excruciating Pain. _No._

She slammed a fist hard into the mirror. Instantly white hot pain spiked into her hand and reverberated through her arm. She welcomed its presence as it overshadowed its emotional counterpart, tricking her brain into shielding the larger all-consuming agony, while it responded to physical attack.

Small patches of blood began to appear through the bandages.

_I need a drink._

* * *

If Dr Maura Isles was having a rough day, Dr Megan Hunt was having the opposite. She found it hard to contain the elation, she was flying. How many times in her career had she stared at the remains of a person, and wished that they were still alive?

Every dead body took a little part of her - a small void that was usually only patched by bringing the killer to justice.

But this, this was the closest thing to a miracle she was ever likely to see in her field of work. A woman whose death she had certified, whose post-mortem she had performed, was living and breathing and well. She felt almost euphoric.

There was still a murdered woman, and a killer to catch, but having looked in to the warm hazel eyes of Maura Isles, she couldn't help but be silently joyous.

As the honey blonde doctor joined her in the morgue, the professional mask of an M.E. slipped into place. Locating the correct unit, she looked directly at the other woman.

"Brace yourself Dr Isles."

The redhead opened the freezer door and pulled out the drawer, revealing the body, covered in a sheet.

Maura's heart stopped as a sudden thought occurred to her _Jane?... Please No! _In panic she lifted her hand and ripped the sheet from the face.

She froze.

One nightmare was replaced by another as she stared into the dead face.

Though her facial features barely registered it, her subconscious was overcome with abject horror.

Her heartbeat began to thump in surround sound, the floor began to tilt slowly, and her vision began to swim. Imminent blackout was approaching.

"Whoa easy there doc," whispered Frost, She hadn't heard him enter the morgue, hadn't sensed his approach. But she was very grateful as he placed a steadying hand on her back. "I know that feeling." he half smiled.

The dizzyness passed and was replaced by dark unintelligible thoughts.

Maura was a woman of science, of logic, but she was only human, faced with her own corpse, she was unable to speak, to reason, to understand.

_It's me. I'm dead. I died. _

Nobody spoke, they let her process. Minutes went by.

_It's me._

_I'm dead._

_I died._

More time passed.

Frost remained solidly behind her, determined to make up for his earlier embarrassment by catching her if she fell.

_It's me. I'm dead. I died._

More minutes.

"I think she's going into shock," Megan said concerned, "we need…"

Before she could finish her sentence, a hulking form came into the morgue carrying an instrument tray.

"Dr Hunt, I took the liberty of arranging a desk for you in the back office, it appears you are going to be with us for the foreseeable future," said Dr Pike. "and I notice that you were sitting in my chair this morning…"

_gggrrrrrr_

"I am not going to tell you again Dr Pike, that chair is mine!"

His yowl of surprise was quickly echoed by one of pain as he dropped the tray of instruments, and an unlucky scalpel stabbed through his shoe and into his foot. He hopped on one foot almost comically whilst trying to remove the offending implement.

"What…how did you?..." He grimaced through the pain, staring accusingly at Megan as though she had somehow made the uncovered corpse talk.

It was ironic that he of all people would be the one to break the honey blonde from her shock. Though she was still far from being completely grounded, she was beginning to feel aware of her surroundings again. She heard the exchange between the two doctors through a clearing veil of fog.

"Dr Pike are you capable of treating that wound?" said Megan.

"I did go to medical school!" he said indignantly.

"That's not what I asked." she said.

He huffed and began to limp out of the room. Pathology was a man's profession as far as he was concerned and he would be glad when she went back to where she came from.

"I meant what I said! stay out of my chair Dr Pike!" His eyes widened as Maura stepped around Frost to glare at him. He limped into the door in shock. He was having a tough few days. The need to tend his wound and collect his thoughts outweighed his need to find out about Dr Isles miraculous resurrection and he moved to continue out of the door.

As soon as he was gone the three remaining occupants broke into strained laugher. It felt good to clear some of the tension, even if it was only a temporary respite.

Not long after his exit, the door opened again and admitted another person.

"Dr Isles?" Korsak asked in disbelief.

"Korsak." she replied.

Though confusing to see a dead woman alive, he couldn't argue that she was, she was after all standing before him, he shrugged his acceptance and his face broke into an enormous grin. He grabbed her into a huge bear hug. Uncomfortable with such displays of affection, she pulled out of his grasp. "…you look amazing!"

"For a dead woman." She joked. But it fell flat as her brain suddenly caught up with the situation.

_They all thought I was dead. _

She turned back to appraise the body again.

_And aren't I? _

_That is me isn't it?_

The cruel fog began to descend again.

Sensing the shift in the honey blonde's disposition, Megan tried to help her navigate the confusion using scientific fact.

"Dr Isles, I ran the DNA from the victim and it came up with a match to you on CODIS, were you aware that you had an identical twin?"

_Identical twin. _She grasped at the words like a tether. Slowly her logical brain began to take control as the hypothalamus accepted that threat wasn't imminent.

"No… I was unaware that I had any siblings." She said softly after a moment.

She looked to Korsak and Frost. "who is she?"

"I'm afraid we have no idea, up until twenty minutes ago we thought…"

"It was me..," she finished. _Isn't it me? _

_Identical twin_ she reminded herself.

"...so primarily we have been focused on catching the perp…" Frost continued.

"What happened, where did you find her?"

"Perhaps we could return to your office Dr Isles while we fill you in on what we have so far?" Megan interjected.

They all nodded assent and turned to leave.

Megan covered the body and closed the drawer.

* * *

"Janie, your hand?" Angela said as Jane returned, clean from the shower.

She looked down to see that small dots of red had begun seeping through the loose bandaging she had applied.

"It's okay Ma, I just changed the old bandages and it started bleeding!" she lied. "It looks worse than it is." She steeled herself as she tried not to cradle the injury and cause further scrutiny.

"Oh okay…I made pancakes, eggs and bacon and I want to see you eat at least two bites before I leave!"

"It looks great, thank you!" she ignored the pain in her hand as she picked up the fork. Stabbing a piece of bacon she went through the motions of eating.

Satisfied, Angela leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

"I've gotta go now sweetie, I cleaned up for you while you were in the shower!"

Jane nodded. "Thanks, see ya later!"

"Bye," as she headed out the door she turned to face her daughter again and added "No more drinking!"

Jane rolled her eyes. "Ma!"

"I mean it!"

Jane made a shooeing motion with her fork.

Angela left closing the door loudly behind her.

Once she was sure her mother had really gone, she put down the fork. She flexed her injured hand and though the pain was profound, she was pretty sure nothing was broken. The same could not be said for the bathroom mirror that was now sporting a spider web of cracking. She pushed the plate away and leaned her head down onto the breakfast bar. _How can I get through this without becoming a drunk? Or a poster child for anger management? _

She needed to channel this energy into something positive, focus the anger in a direction that had purpose.

"I need to get back on the job!" she said aloud. _There are other cases I can work, Cavanagh can't argue with that._

Soothed by this new sense of clarity, she set about getting ready to go into the office.

* * *

Maura stood alone in the Morgue.

She traced a finger over the stitched up Y incision on the body that was the mirror image of her own.

Her brain was overloaded. After hearing the initial explanation about the crime scene and glancing through the autopsy report, she had asked if she could take a few moments to process before continuing. They had all agreed.

Her office had felt claustrophobic, she wasn't used to having so many people in there at one time. She was grateful for the cool air of the morgue and the clarity it afforded.

Staring once again at the body, something dawned on her, something that had been on the periphery all morning. Nobody had mentioned Jane in all this, she herself had not even thought about the detective since the body was revealed and her mind had descended into chaos. _Where is she? Why hasn't she come to see me? Does she even know I'm here?_

She charged back through to her office and demanded answers from those waiting patiently for her inside.

"She's not here, she was forced to take leave, she's taken this whole thing pretty bad." said Frost

"You only mention this now?" she said angrily.

"We've been trying to call her but she's not answering her phone…"

"She thinks I'm dead?!" _she thinks I'm dead! I need to go to her._ Suddenly nothing else in the world mattered. Not dead sisters or murder suspects or unanswered questions. "I have to go…"

"But we need to finish…"

"Not until I see Jane!" She snatched her purse and headed for the door.

Korsak looked uncomfortable as he moved to block the doctors exit.

"Dr Isles, I'm sorry..."

"Move out of my way!"

"Let her go, surely this can all wait until tomorrow," Megan supplied "we have leads to chase, and now we need to try and ID the victim, Dr Isles cannot supply any information on that front."

"I need to see Jane!"

The older detectives discomfort grew as he said what was on his mind. "There are questions we need to ask you." He tried and failed to sound casual.

He was just doing his job, Maura knew, logically they had to consider her as a suspect, especially as she hadn't returned home as planned on Friday, and had been hiding away all weekend. But his words stung. She put her hand to her mouth as if he had slapped her. Megan mirrored the movement in sympathetic outrage.

Frost stood up.

"Korsak, Dr Hunt is right, we've got plenty of new leads to chase… this has been a shock for all of us and Jane needs to know…"

"Okay, but there could still be a murderer out there, what if they know that the doc is still alive? they might try again..."

"Dr Isles may not have even been the intended target! Plus hardly anybody knows that she has returned" said Megan

Not caring about their deliberation and eager to get to Jane, Maura moved to pass the older detective.

"If I'm not under arrest, I'm leaving!" she said sharply.

Korsak sighed and moved out of her path.

* * *

**A/N ****Please don't take offence to my Pike bashing.**

**Comments make my day. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N So here it is folks, a shot of angst for the road as it were, for the lovely detective…**

**Thanks for all your comments everyone.**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Less than a minute after Maura had left, Megan closed the door sharply and wheeled around angrily to face the two detectives.

"Just what the hell was that Detective Korsak? Am I to understand that at Boston Police Department it is acceptable to treat your colleagues with such disregard?"

Korsak had the sense to look ashamed at least. He brought a hand to his chin and rubbed the bristles there uneasily. Shaking his head he looked at Megan.

"No...no…It's just this case, it's been disturbing right from the start. I love the doc I really do, and I'm glad she's okay, but there are things that just don't add up..."

"You're way off base here man." Frost said.

Korsak refused to back down.

"But where the hell has she been all weekend? She didn't even contact Rizzoli, and who takes a rental car straight from the airport in their home town?, any normal person would have come home in a taxi and picked up their own car first before heading on to another destination… Not to mention how hard it is to believe that after researching her biological family, she didn't know she had a twin sister, I don't like it…there's still a killer on the loose and now that we know Paddy Doyle is involved somehow…well…It wouldn't be the first time that Dr Isles has put Doyle's interests before ours… I just don't want Jane caught up in the middle of something dangerous."

Finally Megan understood what was really going on inside the older detectives head. She didn't like it, but she couldn't argue that his heart wasn't in the right place. His concern for Detective Rizzoli was touching. And technically Dr Isles hadn't really filled them in on where she had been for the past few days.

"We do need to find out where she was this weekend," Frost agreed. "But you didn't see her when she saw that body…she definitely had no idea, about the murder, or the fact that the woman existed at all. It was almost as if she thought she was looking at herself on the table."

"I agree, as pathologists in a crime lab we become hardened towards seeing incredibly horrific sights on a daily basis, the victims' injuries are very tame comparably, yet Dr Isles was on the verge of going into shock," said Megan.

"As for the rental car," Frost supplied "we asked Jane about this when we thought that rental at the scene belonged to the doc, remember? She said that Dr Isles refused to travel in taxi cabs because they were 'mobile germ incubators'?!" He smiled a little at that.

Korsak continued to rub his beard thoughtfully, determined that his points not be dismissed.

"Okay, but why didn't she call Jane or someone to pick her up? Surely there are just as many germs in a rental?"

"Not quite," said Megan. "Since the whole H1N1 outbreak, some of the more expensive rental companies use anti-bacterial agents to clean their vehicles between uses. Plus it is more subtle if a person feels the need to do a little disinfecting of their own, you can't pull out your spray cleaner in a cab. I personally concur with Dr Isles on this one and I would take a rental above a cab, even for a relatively short journey."

Frost nodded his head.

"And I know what you're saying about Doyle, I don't like that he's involved in this either, but come on Korsak, we all know that no matter what is going on, Dr Isles would _never_ put Jane in danger!"

"Yeah…I suppose you're right…" Korsak sighed, finally letting go of his concerns. "I guess I owe her an apology!"

"You were just being thorough." Megan said generously "but now that we are all on the same page again, can we please get back to solving this case."

Frost and Korsak nodded in unison.

"Great, well I need to do a fingerprint workup, see if we can ID the vic!"

The redhead silently chastised herself for missing this step before. But, she mitigated to an imaginary critic, there was no need initially. She had pretty much all of Boston PD confirming that the woman was Dr Isles. And as her prints were already in the system, there was no need to take an evidence comparison sample.

"I will have a go at hacking into the FBI database and see if I can recover the missing footage from the prison." Said Frost.

"And I'll get back to going through Dr Isles' old cases, we don't want to get too hung up on the Doyle angle and miss something…"said Korsak.

"We didn't get a chance to fill you in on the blood results…Megan has DNA evidence that puts Evan Jackson at the scene. That puts Doyle squarely as a focus for our investigation."

"Really? Okay…I will see if I can arrange a visit with Paddy Doyle for tomorrow, he's not gonna tell _us_ anything but maybe if we take the Doc over we can get something out of him. Then I'll get Frankie and start running a trace on Agent Jackson, see if we can find out where he is. If the Fibbies can't find their own man, I'm sure we will have less chance of success. But you never know, we could get lucky."

All satisfied with their next moves they did a metaphorical 'team break' and headed off to complete their respective tasks.

* * *

Upon exiting the lift at ground level, Maura took out her cell and tried Jane's number, it rang a few times before going to answering machine.

Thinking about the last time she had heard that message made her chest constrict. But then it eased a little as her mind caught up with another thought. If Jane thought she was dead, could that be the reason she hadn't picked her up? Was there still hope? Maybe she hadn't been outright rejected? … She forced the distracting thoughts from her head and renewed her concentration on the task at hand.

She tried the detectives home number, no answer there either. _Come on Jane where are you?_

She considered her next move, she supposed she could always go straight to her friend's apartment and use her key to let herself in. And then what? Wait there until the detective came home. _But how long could that take? _

She didn't really want to be on her own right now.

As she deliberated she became aware of people staring at her again. One uniformed cop had a division café coffee cup frozen halfway to his mouth. The image prompted something in Maura's head. _Angela! She will know where Jane is. _

She headed for the café.

When she got there she spotted Angela heading into the kitchen, carrying an empty lasagne pan. She looked rather harassed, though the café didn't seem particularly busy.

"Angela…"

The older woman turned at the sound of her name and upon seeing who had spoken it, she dropped the pan she was carrying and raised both hands to her mouth in shock. It hit the floor noisily and shattered. She jumped at the sound but made no move to clear it up, instead she stepped out from behind the counter towards the apparition.

"Mother of mercy, is that really you Maura?"

"I need to see Jane. Do you know where she is?"

The matriarch pulled the honey blonde into a crushing hug and began to sob uncontrollably. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea._

"Oh Maura…" she sniffed, holding her even tighter. "I can't believe it…how…they said you were…" the doctor gave her a sympathetic squeeze as the sobbing continued. She wasn't quite sure how to handle the older woman. She was having the strangest day of her life so far and she was weary.

"Rizzoli that pan is coming out of your wages!" shouted Stanley gruffly. As insensitive as it was, the doctor was glad for his interjection.

"Yes… Mr Stanley!" came the choked response.

"Please Angela, where's Jane?" Maura repeated, finally extracting herself gently from the grip of the weeping woman.

"She's at her apartment, I just left there an hour ago, she…" The doctor turned on her heel and left before hearing the last part of the response. She knew it was rude and a little insensitive under the circumstances. But, people in the café were staring at her and she was uncomfortable with the attention, from them and from Angela. She really needed to get to Jane.

Having watched the honey blonde scoot out of the café, Angela went to the restroom to compose herself. She returned several minutes later still a little dazed.

Making her way to her side of the counter, she found the dustpan and brush, and bent down to sweep up the broken ceramic pieces.

"Ma!"

Angela popped her head above the counter at the sound of her son's voice.

"Did you hear?" He didn't need to explain, the look on his face said it all.

"I just saw her… she came looking for Janie."

"Jeez, I should go over there. Jane's in a real bad place at the moment, she could…"

"Leave them be Frankie, Maura will be safe with Janie, she's always been the one who knows how to get through to her. Even when that horrible man hurt her and she got really low, Maura was the one who managed to pull her out of it."

Frankie furrowed his brows in thought, he couldn't really argue with that.

"I hope you're right Ma!" he said.

* * *

Picking up the house phone Jane tried to call through to the station. Despite her reasoning that Cavanagh wouldn't try to stop her investigating other cases, she suddenly lacked confidence in her assessment. She had been forced on leave after her boxing match with Crowe. It was informal she knew, but she did have to be respectful of the Lieutenant. She hoped that she could convince him that she was able to do her job.

Having punched in the number from her address book, she waited for the call to go through. The line was dead, she hit the button a couple of times and listened, no dial tone. _What? _Pulling on the wire, she realised that it was unplugged. _Huh… don't remember doing that…_ moving the little phone table slightly in order to reach the plug, she noticed something wedged underneath it. Pulling at the wooden frame she revealed a photograph. Her heart fluttered painfully at the image. She sat on the floor, the task of mending the phone forgotten with this new discovery. She stared at the picture.

Maura in a turquoise summer dress smiling happily, arms wrapped around an equally cheerful Jane Rizzoli who was pretending to be grumpy but not quite managing to scowl at the camera. On her left cheek was a 'Hello Kitty' band-aid.

She brought a hand to her cheek as she reflected that she was now sporting another injury in that exact spot.

* * *

_Three years ago_

_Jane tried not to be disappointed that she hadn't managed to spot Dr Isles amongst the people in the park. The honey blonde had said that she was uncomfortable in crowds. Jane had tried to convince her that there wouldn't be all that many people here, and there wasn't really. The area where they held the annual BPD summer picnic was plenty big enough, and apart from the fact that most people knew one another, it was like any other summers day at the park. _

_The two women had met up a few times since the unplanned sleepover, and Jane found that she really enjoyed the doctors company. Maura was so sweet and funny and interesting, the detective always looked forward to seeing her. _

_Jane knew she would be able to spend a lot more time with her soon enough, as she had finally landed a position in homicide. Still, she couldn't help but wish that her new friend was here to share in this lovely day._

_For once the weather wasn't uncomfortably hot. Dressed in black shorts and a grey tank top, the detective found the temperature very pleasant. She was in a great mood as she jogged to retrieve the Frisbee that Frankie had thrown. The throw had been too wide for her to get to, even at full sprint. Turning the purple disc around in her hand she made her way back to him_

"_I didn't realise that you were inviting those trees over there to join in our fun!" she teased._

"_Very funny!" he said, jumping slightly to catch her return pass._

"_You two play nice!" Mamma Rizzoli chided as she went to work setting up a veritable feast. _

_Thinking about her mother's cooking made her stomach rumble loudly. Five minutes later, a very different hunger overtook her as she caught sight of Maura heading towards them through the trees. To say that the M.E. was stunning was like saying that Mary Poppins was a mediocre baby sitter. She was a vision in turquoise, the dress she wore hugged her figure perfectly, and highlighted her toned physique. Jane couldn't help but hold her breath as the woman came closer. The resulting lack of oxygen to her brain gave the effect that time had slowed, which only served to enchant the moment further. The sun reflecting off honey blonde hair bathed her in a golden hue and Jane drew a parallel to some elegant ancient goddess, she was staring and she knew it, but she couldn't stop, she was paralysed… _

_And then…thwack! A purple fist connected with the side of her face. _

_Disorientated she fell to the ground holding a hand to her left cheek. As she pulled the hand away she saw tiny droplets of red._

"_Janie I'm so sorry, I didn't realise you weren't looking!" said Frankie rushing to her._

"_It's fine." She stood embarrassed, hoping the doctor hadn't witnessed her being felled by a Frisbee. But of course she had, there was no escaping it, the blonde had been staring straight at her._

"_Food's ready!" Angela called oblivious to what had just occurred._

_Jane heard snickering coming from various other witnesses to her humiliation. She would hear about this at the station on Monday she was sure. She gave her best Rizzoli glare and the snickering stopped. She dusted grass from her shorts and made her way to meet Maura._

"_Hey, you came!"_

"_Well you described it so passionately that I had little choice but to accede to my interest!" _

"_I'm glad that you decided to… er… whatever to your…whatever " Maura smelled so good, it was distracting. "er…let me introduce you to my brother and my Ma, my dad got called out to a job, I told you he was a plumber didn't I?...well he is, but he's not here…" what the hell is wrong with me?_

"_Janie what did you do to your face? Honestly I turn my back for one minute!"_

"_Ma, this is my friend Dr Maura Isles." She said ignoring her mother's question._

"_You made friends with a doctor?"_

"_Don't sound so surprised Ma." She said sarcastically._

"_I just meant that I thought all of your friends were cops." Said the older woman back peddling._

"_Pleased to meet you Mrs Rizzoli," Maura said holding out her hand._

"_Call me Angela!"_

"_Thank you." Maura held up a basket "I didn't know what to bring, Jane said not to bring food so I brought champagne and strawberries."_

"_Oooh fancy!"_

"_Ma!" She looked apologetically at the honey blonde, who smiled in return._

"_Well, you and Frankie rocked up with a crate of beer."_

_The siblings shrugged at each other, what was wrong with beer?_

"_Frankie this is Maura." She said ignoring her mother again._

"_I'm the good looking Rizzoli!" he said winking. It wasn't really flirting Jane knew, but the Neanderthal in her couldn't help but make a move to stake her claim and show her prowess. She tackled him to the floor and they began tussling good-naturedly. Much to Angela's dismay and Maura's shocked amusement._

_Not having any siblings and growing up in a very reserved environment, the M.E. hadn't much experience with play fighting, but she hadn't missed the exchange that had preceded the battle. She couldn't help but feel like they were fighting over her. _

_Jane finally caught Frankie in a head lock that he couldn't get out of, he held out two fingers in submission, and they broke apart laughing. Jane grinned triumphantly at her victory and took a seat next to Maura, who had settled onto the blanket with a glass of champagne. Frankie took a seat opposite and their mother handed them each a plate._

_She caught sight of a couple of red spots highlighted against the blue and white check._

"_Janie you're dripping blood all over my picnic blanket."_

"_Ugh, sorry!" she had forgotten about her cut._

"_I have some band-aids in my purse." The matriarch riffled through her purse and pulled out some pink garish 'Hello Kitty' band-aids._

"_No way, Ma!"_

_Both Frankie and Maura snorted in unison. Unfazed, Angela handed the offending items to Maura._

"_Can you patch up my little tomboy please doctor?" she said, her eyes twinkling._

_Maura supressed a giggle at the look of horror on Janes' face, she had some plain band-aids in her purse, but she was enjoying their teasing of the detective far too much to reveal them. _

"_Let me take a look at that, how did you come by this injury Miss Rizzoli?" she said in a mock doctor-like tone. She had refrained from commenting on the fact that she had seen the detective take a Frisbee to the face earlier, knowing that Jane's pride had probably been wounded by the incident._

"_She got hit by a Frisbee!" Frankie laughed. Jane growled. The doctor took some alcohol gel from her purse and sterilised her hands before taking a pink band-aid from the packet. Jane had shuffled away on to the grass._

"_Don't come near me with that thing, I'll sit here and drop blood onto the grass instead!"_

_Maura seemed like she was about to concede, but at the last minute she hitched up her dress slightly and pounced onto Jane. Straddling the shocked detective effortlessly, she pinned her down with one hand. _

_Frankie and Angela laughed heartily. _

_The brunettes brain went into complete melt down. She was unable to control her body's reaction to being in such a compromising position under the beautiful woman. She grasped at the grass with her fists and tried ineffectually to stop her back from arching in overpowering pleasure. She bit her lip to supress a moan as Maura leaned down bringing her perfect mouth close to the brunettes ear._

"_Relax Detective, I'm not going to bite you…" she teased huskily. The doctor was enjoying this immensely, what had started out as her attempt at play fighting, had turned into another type of game when she had seen the unmasked arousal in the chocolate brown eyes. She hadn't missed the way the brunette's hips had thrust up softly as she'd come to rest on top of her, nor had it gone unnoticed how the body beneath her had begun to tremble faintly. _

_Smiling innocently the honey blonde adjusted her weight slightly and felt her pelvis rock gently against Janes. She was rewarded with a muffled squeak and another gentle thrust._

_Jane's body melted into the ground, she couldn't form a single coherent thought. She closed her eyes as a soft hand took hold of her jaw. Maura leaned down again, Jane held her breath, her insides were on fire. Half crazed with lust, she pulled on every ounce of self-control to resist flipping the doctor on to her back and kissing her passionately in front of the whole of BPD, not to mention her mother and brother. She lay very still as she felt the familiar sensation of a band-aid being applied to her face. And then the sweet torture was over as Maura dismounted and returned to the blanket to do an awkward hi-five with Frankie._

_Jane lay on the grass for a few moments, eyes squeezed tightly shut, trying desperately to pull herself back together. What the hell just happened Rizzoli? The intoxicating smell of the honey blonde lingered around her, making it harder to regain composure._

_Just when she felt that she could probably get up without betraying her concealed desire, she felt the return of the now familiar weight, the doctor had perched herself atop the detective once more. Rational thought fled again and she looked up, her eyes dazed. _

_Maura smiled as she pressed a champagne soaked strawberry to the brunettes' lips. Janes' heart threatened to burst through her chest as it thundered like a caged beast, her breathing became shallow. The heart shaped fruit teased her mouth gently, grazing along her lips until they parted allowing it entry to her waiting mouth. It stroked up and down her tongue slowly. The gentle caress stimulating the sensitive nerves, she took an involuntary nip of it. A warm hand pressed firmly down on her chest and stopped the embarrassing arch of pleasure that would surely have accompanied this act, preserving her dignity in front of any spectators._

"_Sorry Miss Rizzoli, I was fresh out of lollypops! But you were such a good little girl that you deserved a treat!" Maura chuckled getting up, and then she was gone again._

_You have no idea how much of a treat that was._

_The humiliation of wearing the kids band-aid paled in comparison to the confusion in her head over her reaction to the feel of Maura on top of her. She stood up and tried to look casual as she joined everyone on the blanket once more. Her face was as pink as the band-aid and everyone laughed. They didn't realise the flush was not merely one of embarrassment._

"_Smile Janie." Frankie held up his camera as Maura snaked her hands around the detectives' waist._

* * *

Staring at this simple picture she felt the renewed anguish of her grief begin to rise inside her. The overwhelming ache of loss for something she had never had and never would have. The pain of losing someone so precious, that the world will forever hold a dark shadow. _I need to get a grip. _She shoved the photograph roughly into the little drawer in her phone table and heaved herself to her feet.

There was no beer left. The tequila bottle called to her from its hiding place down the side of the couch. _No!_ _Pull it together Rizzoli._ She would go and speak to Cavanagh in person, she needed to get out of her apartment. Away from the torment and the lure of alcohol.

She made her way to her bedroom to grab her badge from the nightstand. Something grabbed at her ankles, she looked down.

On the floor at the foot of her bed was a familiar bag, Angela must have dropped it off earlier.

Protruding from the bag was a cardboard sign. It mocked her with a reminder of all the possibilities it had once been the key to unlocking, teasing her with what could have been. Blinding rage took over as she kicked the bag and all its contents under the bed. It was unsatisfactory and she lashed out furiously at the foot of the bed in its place, landing kick after kick until her muscles ached in exhaustion. _I tried…_

She returned to the living room and retrieving the tequila bottle she took a desperate gulp of the fiery liquid.

* * *

Frost was alone at his desk in the Homicide department, tapping furiously at the keys to his computer. He didn't hear the redhead come in.

"Detective Frost I need your help" said Megan.

He looked up.

"Sure, what's up? I could do with a break, FBI security is a headache!"

"I got a hit on CODIS for the vics prints, matched a partial from a cold case from ten years ago, but the electronic file is empty, no police report or anything, looks like someone has interfered with it. I was hoping you might be able to work your magic…I've put a request out for the paper file from storage but that could take a couple of days."

"Interesting, I'll come down and take a look!" he said getting to his feet.

"Thank you" she said as they both began heading out the door "Have you heard from Dr Isles or Detective Rizzoli?"

"Nope." He said shaking his head.

* * *

**A/N I know that you're all really keen for them to get together, me too. I wasn't trying to be a jerk when I wrote this chapter, but I really wanted the picnic scene and couldn't bear to cut it when the chapter started to get too long.**

**Maura is outside Janes' door right now! - next chapter, I promise.**

**Please comment and let me know what you think.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N So here is the bit you've all been waiting for, I hope it doesn't disappoint.**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_Jane brought a lazy hand to scratch the top of her head. She felt calmer than she had in weeks. Extending her senses she explored her surroundings._

_The muffled sound of traffic roaring over a distant highway complimented the soothing crash of the surf, as gentle waves lapped hungrily at sun toasted sand. Daylight twinkled over the water giving the horizon a magical glow. _

_Beneath her, a soft blanket radiated heat from the warm sand below it. Laid on her back, eyes closed against the bright sunlight, she breathed in salty air and smiled widely. The usual tension in her body was long forgotten. Tightening her hold on the soft figure in her arms, she sighed contentedly_.

"_I wish we could stay here forever." She said into the honey blonde hair._

"_Me too." the voice whispered into her collar bone. _

_Tracing her fingers over the arm that was draped across her chest, she felt the doctor shift a little. Hazel eyes looked up at her shyly and her heart rate increased. Adjusting her position, she captured the other woman's lips softly in her own. She nibbled tenderly at the bottom lip, before giving in to growing hunger and deepening the kiss. A soft moan escaped them as her tongue flicked gently against its counterpart. A deep rumbling over the sea echoed the thunder of her fluttering heart. A storm had appeared on the horizon. _

_Two sharp cracks of noise pulled her from sinking wholly into the warmth enveloping her._

"_Did you hear that?" she pulled back. "It sounded like…"_

"_Shhh…" A warm hand at the base of her neck pulled her into another kiss. She melted back into the hazy glow._

_Crack, crack _

_The sound was unmistakable this time. Jumping to her feet she reached for her service weapon, her hand clutching emptily at the material of her Red Sox t-shirt. Shit. _

"_Jane?..." The honey blonde stood up, confused._

"_Honey, are you okay?" Her mother's voice. When had she joined them? Turning to face the older woman, she tried to think clearly, but the sight of Angela and her attire, only served to increase her confusion._

_Thunder growled again in the distance._

"_Ma, why are you wearing my dress uniform?" _

"_Somebody has got to protect us sweetie. You're not very good at keeping people safe!"_

"_What?…what are you saying?"_

_Two shots rang out again. Louder this time._

"_Ma, get down!"_

_She spun round. The warning she was about to give froze in her mouth. Red liquid was seeping through the front of a turquoise summer dress, pooling out from two neat little holes a hand span from the woman's left shoulder._

"_Maura no!" she cried. Her chest hurt as if the wounds were her own._

"_I'm sorry Jane, I have to leave." She said collapsing onto a blue and white check blanket._

"_No, please, no." she fell to her knees and tried urgently to staunch the growing deluge of blood. "Ma, help me!" she sobbed._

_Angela shook her head._

"_You should have eaten my lasagne!"_

_There was so much blood._

"_Please Maura, don't leave me!" she looked into the fading hazel eyes. "Maura!…Somebody help us, please!" she cried desperately._

"_I'll help you!" sneered a male voice. Looking up she cried out in horror at the form now hovering over them. Charles Hoyt morphed into Dr Pike and back again, grinning maniacally._

"_No… stay away from her!"_

_Inhumanly strong arms clamped around her, she recognised the sleeves of her police uniform, it was her mother. _

_Pike/Hoyt grabbed the doctor and began dragging her away._

"_Maura…no…leave her alone" she struggled and thrashed wildly but to no avail, she couldn't get free._

"_MAURA!" she screamed._

* * *

Maura rummaged through her purse and closed her hand around a familiar key chain. She pulled out the marble-sized baseball and took hold of the key that dangled next to it. She had knocked persistently on the door to her friend's apartment for at least five minutes, and receiving no answer, had decided to let herself in. One thought remained firm. _She needs to know I'm alive. _

She turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door slowly.

Half expecting the apartment to be empty, her heart jumped into her throat when she heard someone scream her name. She froze in the doorway and stared into the room. The scene before her was alarming. She gasped.

The apartment was in a state of complete chaos.

Drawers were pulled open, some of their contents discarded on the floor, picture frames were upended, a lamp was hanging by its cord over the bookcase. One of the stools from the breakfast bar was overturned, with what looked like the smashed remnants of a plate of food surrounding it. Contents of the magazine rack were strewn haphazardly across the living area, along with the cushions from the sofa. The room looked almost like it had been ransacked.

Even more shocking was the condition of the detective herself. She was curled uncomfortably on the couch, whimpering in the throes of a nightmare, blood dappled bandaging tangled around her arms. There were sutured cuts on the brunettes face, and purple bruising along her jawline.

Hazel eyes filled with tears. _Oh Jane…_

The brunette cried out again in terror. Reacting instinctually Maura crossed the distance between them. Kneeling at the side of the couch she leaned in to awkwardly embrace the distressed woman.

"Shhh…Jane, it's just a dream…shhh"

Almost immediately the whimpering eased and the detectives breathing evened out. On past occasions it had made the M.E. feel ten feet tall when she had managed to sooth the torment of one of Janes' nightmares with just a simple cuddle. But right now Jane was hurting, and despite everything that Maura had been through in the last few days, it was the only thing that mattered to her.

Pulling back from the embrace, she shook the detectives' shoulders gently.

"Jane…Jane…wake up." The brunette didn't stir. From the intense smell of alcohol emanating from her, Maura surmised that she was probably fairly intoxicated. She furrowed her eyebrows. It wasn't even two o'clock in the afternoon. Just how bad had things gotten for the detective? She realised she knew the answer to that, she had gone through something similar once…

A painful memory forced itself upon her. The sound of a heart rate monitor flat lining, and the desperate charging of pedals in the back of an ambulance. Sitting, blood coated hands clutched together, unable to breath, watching a paramedic wrestling to hold on to the life of a patient who had just shot herself to stop a killer. The thought made Maura feel sick to her stomach. She pinched the bridge of her nose and forced the memory away.

"It's okay, it will all be fine." she whispered, not entirely certain who the sentence was directed at.

She tried again in vain to rouse the sleeping woman. Unsure what her next move should be, she decided to set herself to tending to the visible wounds.

The doctor was able to clean and redress the detectives' hands without her stirring even a little. _Just how much has she had to drink? _She studied the empty tequila bottle, concerned.

Resting her head gently against the shoulder of the sleeping form she began to weep silently. _How did everything get so messed up?_

"Maur?"

Her first thought was that the detective was talking in her sleep again, but feeling the brunettes body stiffen, she looked up. Glazed brown eyes, full of raw pain stared down at her.

"Jane…"

Tears began pouring down olive cheeks.

"You left me, why did you leave me?" there was so much agony in those soft spoken words that Maura thought her heart would break. Tears pooled once more in her own eyes, spilling over.

"I didn't leave you…" She pulled the detective into her arms, resting her cheek against the head of dark unruly curls.

They stayed like that for a lifetime, both crying softly.

Maura held the detective tightly, whispering soothing words.

After a while the shoulders in her grasp stopped shaking.

"I miss you so much." Jane choked out.

Maura pulled back to look at the detective.

"It wasn't me Jane…I'm alive…that woman, she wasn't me…"

Jane stared at her in confusion, her expression clouded with alcohol. The doctor hadn't considered exactly how she was going to explain the cruel coincidence. The fact that her friend was so inebriated made it all the more difficult.

It took the best part of an hour before the honey blonde was more or less satisfied that Jane had accepted the facts of the situation. She had listened intently, and nodded in all the right places when Maura had described her morning. She had even smirked at the idea of Pike getting a scalpel in his foot. When she had finished speaking, she looked to see how Jane had taken the revelation.

"Well that all makes perfect sense!" Sarcasm, it was Maura's kryptonite.

She took the detectives words at face value, and though there was a still a small nagging feeling that the detective wasn't quite coherent enough to really take in what she had said, she pushed the feeling aside.

Studying the brunette for a moment, she shook her head. There were dark shadows around her alcohol fogged eyes. Her appearance in general seemed far removed from the cool, collected, confident woman she had left in the airport café. The last few days must really have taken their toll on her.

"You should get some proper sleep, in a bed!"

The brunette nodded, yawning.

"Will you stay?" Brown eyes looked up uncertainly.

"Yes, I'll be right out here if you need anything."

"No…I mean in the bed with me…I…I want to be close to you?" _Before I sober up and you disappear…_

No one could have denied that tiny voice anything.

"Of course…" _I need to be close to you too._

The honey blonde helped to stabilise the dark haired woman as she staggered into the bedroom. Rifling through her drawers, discarding unsuitable items on the floor, Jane found them both some sleepwear.

Moments later they lay side by side in the detectives bed.

They were quiet for some time. Finally Jane broke the silence.

"Maur'…"

"Yes…"

"You looked really hot in that dress."

It was perhaps the last sentence she had expected to hear from the detective at that moment. She couldn't supress a shocked chuckle.

"Go to sleep!" she chastised.

* * *

An hour later and neither woman had slept. The emotional trauma of the last few days weighed heavily on them both. One of Jane's bandaged hands had found its way into one of Maura's as they lay together in dense silence.

Jane afraid that if she moved in just the wrong way, Maura would disappear.

Maura remembering the anguish of rejection and the feeling that she may never be in such an intimate place with the detective again.

"Every time I close my eyes…you're there… covered in blood, dead…" Jane began sobbing again. "I don't want to remember you like that…"

The doctor pulled her into her arms.

"Shh…don't cry…" But the flood gates were open. _I wish I could take away your hurt._

After what felt like hours the crying subsided again and silence resumed.

"It hurts so much!"

"What can I do?" _I'll do anything, please don't be so broken._

"Maur'"

"Yes."

"Would you…make love to me?"

The doctor's eyes widened in shock.

"Pardon?"

"I want us to make love." Maura couldn't help the spike in her adrenaline levels at the thought.

"Jane…I…"

"I need to feel you, to feel your love… if you don't want to I…" she said softly.

"I want to…with all my heart…but Jane you're intoxicated amongst other things, it wouldn't be appropriate."

"Please Maur… I feel so lost…I need you."

Maura let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding. How could she deny this woman anything? She had dreamed of this moment for so long, it was completely the wrong time, and it was the most perfect time all in one.

Wrong because the detective was so hurt and vulnerable, but so perfect because what else could be more powerful than an expression of intimate love to provide emotional healing. And love this woman she did - completely and utterly.

"Okay" she breathed. _You're going to hell Maura Isles._

She tugged off the T-shirt she was wearing and leaned in to gently help Jane to remove hers. She shuddered at the sight of perfectly toned abs and was pleased to see a similar reaction from the detective.

"If you change your mind at any point, tell me and I will stop."

Jane nodded.

Turning to face the detective she slipped an arm under her head.

She peppered kisses along the brunettes collar bone.

"What do you want?" the doctor whispered huskily.

"I want…I want you."

She looked up in to brown eyes that had become a shade darker.

"You have me Jane." _All of me…_

She let her fingers ghost across Jane's breasts, and felt the nipples rise at her touch. Lowering her head she captured the right one tenderly in her mouth, using the soft pad of her tongue she massaged it gently.

She heard Jane's breath catch. A bandaged hand twisted into honey blonde hair. Moving her mouth to the other breast she nibbled it softly.

Pouring all of her love into her fingers she stroked a warm hand slowly all over the detectives' body. Caressing every inch of skin within reach, over her shoulders, across her chest, down her abs and thighs. Trailing lazy circles over and over until the detectives skin rippled under her touch.

"Maura..." Jane whispered.

She kissed her nose, her eyebrows, her earlobes, the corners of her mouth, and eased her hand between the detectives' legs. Jane was warm and wet and soft.

She moved her hand in a gentle rhythm, smoothing and teasing, back and forth, up and down. The skin beneath her fingers grew firm. The detective moaned softly and a hand pulled urgently at the honey blonde hair on the back of her neck.

The doctor felt her own skin begin to tremble, her breathing quickened to fall into pace with the detectives. Their hearts beat in rhythm with each other.

She continued her gentle ministrations and felt herself grow wet and hot. She kissed the brunette deeply on the mouth, her tongue teasing inside gently.

Everything faded away, all the hurt, all the pain, replaced by the warm glow of love.

The detective gripped the doctors hand and held it still as her body convulsed again and again. Overwhelmed by the perfect moment Maura's body released in sync with Jane, and they held each other tightly until the last wave washed over them.

Afterwards they lay motionless, breathing long and deep.

"Wow" Jane gasped finally. _I love you Maura._

"Wow?" Maura grinned. _She said 'Wow!'…I love you Jane._

"Wow!" the detective confirmed. _Like really 'WOW!'..._

And then hands found their way onto bare skin once more. They made love again, very slowly and very deeply, until – exhausted, they fell into a peaceful sleep wrapped in each others arms.

* * *

**A/N Thanks for reading. **

**Please comment and let me know what you think...**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Thanks for comments, I may re-write that last chapter at some point as it seems my narrative was lacking, for now I will plow forward...**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Jane woke up about half an hour later.

Propping herself awkwardly on one arm, she stared at the sleeping woman beside her. The warmth of their passion wrapped around her like a cloak. She had never before felt so satisfied and complete than she did in this moment. With all her heart she wished that it could be more than just a desperate fantasy.

Closing her eyes, she fought furiously against the thrum of alcohol in her brain as she tried to commit it all to memory. She wanted to remember forever, every minute detail of the delusion of intimacy they had just shared. Be able to think of Maura glowing and beautiful in sated desire, instead of murdered and covered in blood. In all likelihood it was futile, and she wouldn't remember any of it. It was a bittersweet irony, the cocktail of antibiotics and alcohol had afforded her this wonderful dream, but it would also snatch it cruelly away from her.

She snuggled closer to the honey blonde, determined to savour every last second. Eventually she would have to face the truth, Maura was gone and this illusion of her would be gone soon also. Her eyes teared up but she fought the emotion, she had to start pulling herself together. Her mother was right, Maura wouldn't have wanted her to just give up on life.

Despite this pleasant vision, she did regret the weakness that had caused her to consume the rest of the bottle of Tequila. But, tomorrow was another day.

* * *

Frost grunted in frustration. He was sat at Maura's desk with Megan. He was getting nowhere trying to recover the electronic case file.

"Man they certainly did a number on this, I can't find a single thing, it's a good job CODIS is better protected or we may not have even found this potential connection," said Frost. "Once evidence is entered on there, you have to have really high clearance to get it removed, and hacking, well I worship anyone who can hack into CODIS!" He nodded his head in reverence to an invisible hacking deity.

"Well, let's hope whoever messed with our database didn't get hold of the paper file." Said Megan

"The file tampering was done remotely, so it's possible that the person who did this had no access to the paper records."

"I put in a request from archiving, so I guess we'll see. I have to say, this is one of the strangest cases I've worked!"

"You're telling me."

"Thanks for trying."

"No problem, well, back to the headache that is FBI firewalls for me…" he said getting up and heading to the door.

When he got back to BRIC Korsak was at his desk.

"The rental car that we found at the scene was reported stolen this morning."

"Whoa really?" Korsak nodded in reply.

"I finally managed to get hold of someone at the rental company, the vehicle was rented to a British couple last Wednesday. They parked it in a hotel car park, hadn't needed it until this morning, when they went to get it, it was gone." He said.

"Potential accomplices?" said Frost

"Na…alibi's check out, they're over here on honeymoon, hotel cameras show them in the bar at the time of the murder."

"So our girl is a car thief?…"

"Sure looks that way. I'm just about to go through footage from the car park, they only have cameras on the entrance and exit but they might have caught her coming or going…"

"Rather you than me, that's a hell of a lot of footage."

"Thanks." Korsak grunted.

He glanced at the clock. Something else was on his mind. "It's been over six hours since the doc went over to see Rizzoli, do you think they're okay?"

"I sure hope so." said Frost. He sighed. Everything about this whole mess was a shit stack of crazy.

Soon the clicking of keys filled the room as Frost resumed his current pursuit and Korsak fixed his eyes on the screen, speeding through hours and hours of carpark footage. It was hard going and Frost took a break to grab them both some coffee less than an hour later. Settling back into their tasks it wasn't long before the older detective stood up suddenly.

"Whoa Frost, check this out." Frost looked up. "I got her entering the carpark in a blue Ford focus."

It was her alright, as he looked at the image, he had to remind himself that the woman was not Dr Isles.

"Are those California plates?"

"Ahuh, and she drives out half an hour later in the stolen hire car!"

"So she left the focus at the hotel?"

"By the looks of it… I'll get Frankie to head down there and check it out."

It was late by the time they left the office Monday night. The car at the hotel had yielded little except that there was a possibility the woman had been in California at some point. It was disappointing. Yet the day had delivered Dr Isles back to them unscathed so they could not say it was a complete downer.

* * *

Jane awoke first on Tuesday morning under the familiar dullness of a hangover. Realising that she was not alone in the bed, she turned to face the naked form beside her. And jumped. Propelled herself backwards out of the bed like she had been bitten by a snake. Her body made heavy impact with the wall but she didn't notice the pain as the horror of the sight before her registered in her mind.

"Oh..my..God!" She tried desperately to pull an explanation from her blank memory, it was futile, she had no recollection of the previous night at all. Her brain, getting back at her for the abuse of the past few days, teased the poor detective with a disturbing idea… _Did I steal a body from the morgue? _"This is seriously fucked up!"

"Jane?" a sleep sexy voice enquired.

"AAARghhh!" Jane grabbed the lamp from the bedside table and held it like out a weapon.

If it hadn't been for the sheer terror she saw in the brunettes eyes Maura would have laughed out loud at the comical scene before her. The detective was naked and wielding a lamp wildly, like some ancient cavewoman with a club.

"Jane calm down, it's alright…"

"No, it is _definitely_ all wrong!"

Maura started to get up.

"Don't come anywhere near me, I mean it!" The warning in her tone made Maura freeze.

"Please Jane…"

"What are you doing here?" She laughed crazily "why am I talking to you?" She pulled a desperate hand through her hair "I'm having a breakdown…"

"You don't remember?"

"Stop talking!" She shouted, pointing the lamp at the doctor._ What kind of a freak hallucinates their dead friend…naked?_ "This is crazy!"

She put down the lamp and picked up some sweats and a t-shirt from the floor at the side of her bed, she pulled them on without underwear. _I gotta get out of here. _She headed into the lounge and slipped on her running shoes. She grabbed her keys and was about to head out of the apartment, when a knock at the door startled her.

Frankie stepped in as soon as the door was opened.

"Janie, what the hell happened?" he said looking at the disarray in the apartment.

"Didn't you get the memo, I'm going insane, cuckoo, crazy… can't even blame the toxins this morning!" she said wildly.

He stared at her for a few seconds trying to decide if she was joking.

"Where's Maura? Ma said she was heading over here..."

"What? Frankie Maura's dead! Why would you…"

"No…Jane…" He was confused. Surely Maura had come to explain to her what had happened.

The doctor chose that moment to come out of the bedroom. She was wearing a pair of Janes' sweats and a t-shirt. Jane moved away from her to the far side of the room near the bookcase.

"She thinks I'm an illusion." The honey blonde said, concern evident in her voice.

"An illusion?"

"I explained it all to her last night, I thought she understood, but this morning…"

Jane looked from Maura to Frankie in alarm.

"You see her too?"

"Of course I do, Jane this doesn't make any sense… why do you think she's an illusion?"

"She's isn't?"

"No!"

"But…" It was all too overwhelming for her, the room began to spin, she grabbed onto the bookcase for support. Frankie came to her at once and helped her across the room to the couch. She looked up at Maura. "It's really you?... You're alive?" she said in a small voice.

"Yes, I am…don't you remember anything of what I told you last night?" Maura said.

"I don't remember anything at all about last night…"

"I came straight here to let you know, I told you the whole story…then we…er…we…you asked me to sleep in the bed with you…for comfort, you really have no recollection?..."

"Sorry…" Jane said with a sheepish smile.

She stared at the doctor.

_Maura is alive, she's really alive. _A huge grin broke out on the detectives face.

"Janie this is the second time you've blacked out or whatever, maybe you need to see someone."

Jane started to laugh.

"Third time actually little brother but who's counting, s'okay though, I finally got round to reading the info on the anti-biotics I've been taking. Extreme side effects include mood swings, hallucinations and memory loss, caution to be taken when mixing with alcohol. I guess getting blind drunk wasn't the best of ideas!... don't worry I'll lay off the booze, that should set me straight again…never mind all that though, Frankie… Maura is alive!... Maura, you're alive!"

They both looked at her as though she were as crazy as she had felt only a few minutes before. She didn't care, Maura was alive! A feeling of unbridled happiness washed over her as she accepted the reality of it. "You're alive!" She jumped up, ignoring the protest of her hungover body and threw her arms around the surprised M.E.

"I think we have pretty much established that." Maura said kindly.

"So the body in the morgue?"

"My identical twin."

"Really?! What are the odds…" she said surprised.

"I suppose it depends on what parameters you want to consider into the calculation…I couldn't even begin to form a rough hypothesis"

Jane smiled. Maura was definitely alive.

"Let me grab a shower and change and you guys can fill me in on the way to the station!"

"What?! just like that? five minutes ago you told me that you were crazy, and now you want to head into the station?!"

Letting go of Maura, she turned to her brother.

"Yeah, five minutes ago I thought I was like that little boy from sixth sense, now I know Maura is really alive, I'm all good." she drew out the last word.

Frankie didn't look convinced. He looked to Maura who shrugged her shoulders.

Jane couldn't contain her giddiness, she was on cloud nine, a tidle wave of relief had cascaded over her and sluiced away all of the angst and torment of the last few days, to the point were she was uncharacteristically chipper.

"Come on guys, don't look so tense, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, its a wonderful day!"

Frankie and Maura continued to stare at her.

She was so very happy, Maura was really here and well and not a hallucuination.

"Ooops...Sorry about threatening you with a lamp by the way…It's a good thing Cavanagh confiscated my service weapon…"Jane said as she turned to go to the bathroom.

Frankie and Maura spoke at the same time

"You threatened Maura with a lamp?"

"Cavanagh did what? why?"

"Errr…no reason!" Jane said suddenly embarrassed.

Maura looked to Frankie. Jane silenced him with a look.

"Ugh I need coffee!" she hinted as she left the room.

Frankie and Maura stood for a few minutes in silence, both a little shell shocked.

Finally Frankie shook his head.

"Why did Cavanagh take her gun?" Maura asked as a distraction to growing inner turmoil, she now found herself caught in a moral dilemma. Jane had forgotten all about their encounter last night and she wasn't entirely sure how to handle it.

"Come, let's go and make coffee and I will tell you all about it!" Frankie laughed.

* * *

"Okay, what else we got?" said Cavanagh.

An informal get-together to go over the case had been arranged. Frost, Korsak and Megan were all stood around the case notice board.

"A meeting has been arranged for this afternoon with Paddy Doyle, it wasn't easy. The FBI have got him on lockdown, we had to pull strings with Dean in order to get a measly fifteen minutes with him." said Korsak

"And you're taking Dr Isles with you?"

"Yes. Frankie called, he's on the way here with her and Rizzoli."

"Great, I suppose _she'll_ be busting my balls to get back on this case now that we know the vic wasn't Dr Isles!"

"You betcha!" said Korsak

"Dr Hunt, where are we with an ID for the vic, I'm not holding out hope that Doyle will tell us anything?"

"I'm gonna head over to archiving when we're done here, even if I have to get in the stacks and search for it myself, I will not leave until I have that cold case file in my hand." she said.

Everyone believed her.

"I couldn't retrieve a thing from the electronic records." said Frost shaking his head.

"And the other computer based enquiry?" Cavanagh pretended not to know about Frost trying to hack illegally into the FBI database.

"Well, I've managed to gain access to all the footage collected over the last six months. I found traces of file manipulation that suggests quite a few hours of recording has been deleted over the months. Whoever did it was good! I can't recover anything of the deleted footage from Thursday when the vic supposedly visited Doyle. My guess is that it was Jackson himself who interfered with the files. There were two agents based at the prison, but most of the time the monitoring of the live feed was only done by one of them, usually Jackson. He was in charge." He handed Cavanagh a paper file. "I printed off his file, been with the Bureau for twenty three years, perfect record, decorated, took a bullet for some diplomat several years ago. How'd he end up mixed up in all this?"

"Wouldn't surprise me if we found out that he was on Doyle's payroll. That book we found, probably not even a third of his empire. And those missing visits, likely business deals with other mob connections!" said Korsak.

"Well, let's leave that to the FBI to deal with, our primary concern is the murder," said the Lieutenant "How are we getting on with tracking Agent Jackson?"

"Nothing, no trace, he could be anywhere." said Korsak

"Damn!... we need to post a patrol car outside the docs house, we can't risk that she may have been the intended target, he might come back to try again."

"Already done!"

"Okay people, I want to see real progress by the end of the day!"

They all nodded.

* * *

Upon entering the station, Maura headed down to the Morgue accompanied by Frankie whose sister had told him in no uncertain terms that he was to shadow the doctor at all times. _I mean it Frankie, if she needs to pee, you'll be waiting for her outside the restroom, got it?!_

Jane went straight to Cavanagh's office and was relieved to receive both her gun and permission to resume a position on the case. Telling him she was fine, she neglected to tell him about the stampeding rhinos in her head, or about how shaky her hands were, or the part where she puked up her breakfast five minutes ago in the ladies restroom.

It also wasn't necessary to inform him, that, after retrieving her gun, she was heading to the ladies restroom to celebrate with a repeat puking performance.

She could only imagine what Maura would tell her about germs if she saw her kneeling on the floor in one of the stalls, head hanging gravely over the bowl. Drinking - it's all fun and games until the morning after, payback is a bitch. _Thank you stomach for this betrayal, weren't you there this morning?, Maura is fine, can't we just go back to the way things were? I promise no alcohol for a month, what about no fried food to sweeten the deal?_ No deal! said her stomach as she retched out some more icky mess.

Rinsing her mouth in the sink and popping in a couple of sticks of gum, she headed up to BRIC to get up to date with the case. Both Frost and Korsak were pleased to see her. She was soon throwing her weight around about the case as usual and this pleased them even more.

* * *

Jane met up with Frankie and Maura in the café at lunchtime.

Maura had spent the whole morning going over Megans notes about the case. She was impressed by the redheads work. When she'd finished reading the file, she'd taken a little time to sit with her sister and wonder about the life she had had.

All the while a persistent barrage of concerns was infiltrating her conscious mind. _Jane doesn't remember. What should I do? Should I confess to taking advantage of her while she was intoxicated? Is it best that she doesn't know? Why did she ask me to make love to her in the first place? Why did I agree? I'm such a bad person. Does she even want to be more than friends or was it a drunken mistake? One that she doesn't even remember making, what does it mean?…things are no clearer than they were two weeks ago… why do things with you always have to be so perplexing Jane Rizzoli?! _

"Maura?"

"Yes?"

"Ma was talking to you!" Frankie said

"Oh sorry Angela, what did you say?"

"I said 'we're all having drinks tonight at the Dirty Robber to celebrate you being alive!'"

"That's not necessary…"

"Of course it is, I've spoken with lots of the guys, they're all gonna be there!"

"Ma, I don't think Maura wants that…" Frankie tried

"Nonsense, you better be there Francesco and make sure that sister of yours is there too, she's been holed up in her apartment all weekend!" He swallowed at the sound of his full name, she meant business.

"Sorry Maura." He said as his mother went back into the kitchen.

"What are you being sorry about?" asked Jane taking a seat at their table.

"Ma arranging drinks at the Robber tonight for Maura."

"What? I'm gonna talk to her!"

"Janie, I already tried, she called me 'Francesco'."

Jane winced.

"It's okay, it'll be a welcome distraction." said Maura. Her mind doubling its efforts with the unwelcome thoughts, now that the object of them was here in plain view.

"Distraction from what?" said the brunette.

"Er… you know, the case, the last few days…" she covered.

Frankie got up to go to the bathroom.

"Speaking of distractions…" Jane mused as a thought occurred to her "Why were you naked this morning?"

Maura's heart almost stopped and the forkful of salad she had just picked up froze in mid-air. _What do I say? I can't lie…say something…Maura say something…_

"Er…it got a little hot." _Really hot!_

"Janie there you are, you're looking better already. Did you hear about drinks tonight?"

"Yeah Ma, I'll see how my day goes." She wasn't sure about surrounding herself with drink. Four days of excess do not an alcoholic make, but she still felt a bit wary about the idea. Angela turned to say something to Frankie as he returned.

Jane looked back to Maura "How are you feeling about seeing Paddy Doyle this afternoon?"

"Okay I guess, I want to see him, I need to find out what he knows about all of this, I'm just worried that he will refuse to tell me anything about this sister like he refuses to tell me about my mother."

"It's a possibility I guess, but don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this, with or without his help." She reached a hand across to squeeze one of Maura's.

"I need to go now, I've a lot to catch up on, Korsak is going with you to the prison and Frankie too, okay?"

"Wait, you're not going to come?" she said feeling a little hurt.

"Korsak can handle it. I've got other things to be doing." _I need to nip home for a couple of hours and sleep, clear my head!_ She didn't want to admit to weakness, have everyone worry about her, so she didn't elaborate.

She stood, and waved a quick good bye to Frankie and Angela who were engaged in conversation, as she headed out the door.

New questions formed in Maura's head as she felt the familiar sting of rejection.

* * *

Crawling into bed, Jane sighed loudly. There were no adequate words to sum up her day so far. She rubbed her face. Her whole body was aching and her stomach remained an aggressor. _I just need a few hours…_

Snuggling into the pillow, Maura's familiar scent wove its way around her, it was heavenly and comforting and…

...memory restoring.

Faded grainy images of Maura sat conveying words to her patiently on the couch burst into a glorious Technicolor replay of their lovemaking.

Her eyes widened.

"Holy shit!"

* * *

**A/N so I'm a method writer, I wrote the whole of this chapter after consuming half a bottle of tequila... sorry!**

**Thanks for reading...**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N Sorry for delay, had a gremlin in my machine… Thank you as always for reading and reviewing.**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

For the second time that day, Jane found herself vaulting from the bed like a bullet out of a gun. All thoughts of sleep had now been vanquished by the flashback of her and Maura… _together_…here in this bed. Grabbing her clothes from where she'd folded them neatly over the foot of the bed, she dressed hastily.

"Geez Rizzoli, you are such a jerk!"

They had shared something so beautiful and moving, how in the world could she have forgotten that? Maura must be going through hell right now thinking that she hadn't remembered. She needed to let the doctor know that she knew what had happened between them. And tell her how grateful she was to the honey blonde for being there for her. Maura had offered herself so willingly in order to comfort the brunette in her distress. It was the most touching thing anyone had ever done for her.

They really needed to sit down together and talk about their relationship and where it was heading. Remarkably the detective realised that she was not the least bit afraid of the conversation. All the years of longing for so much more, but being terrified of voicing it, seemed so ridiculous now. Every single reason for holding back had been dissolved by the knowledge of what her life would be like without the doctor in it.

Losing Maura was like being ripped in half, heart and soul. Now that the M.E. had been restored to her, she didn't want to continue with the fabrication of innocent friendship any longer. She wanted absolutely everything, and she wasn't in the least bit scared by the idea of expressing it.

Maura was undeniably her soul mate.

She had always felt an underlying sense of serenity and calm whenever the doctor was in close proximity. A gentle love, that provided stability even when her life got messy. But it was nothing compared to the emotion evoked by their sweet lovemaking. Tangled together in the aftermath, Jane had ascended to a level of tranquillity that was unlike any other. She had experienced a warm feeling of being complete on every level possible, something so far beyond love, it existed in another realm entirely…

She shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. It seemed that emotional overload made her uncharacteristically philosophical.

Her thoughts moved in to more familiar territory as she mused that even purely on a physical level, their recent intimacy had been mind blowing. They were so compatible, their bodies melting together perfectly, each effortlessly anticipating the others' needs. She had never climaxed so many times in such a short space of time, it was like nothing she had ever experienced.

A wry chuckle escaped her.

A little over two weeks ago she had been nervous just thinking about the idea of kissing Maura, let alone anything else. In fact she should probably be freaking out right now in light of what had happened, but oddly she found that she wasn't. If anything, she was already feeling the steady pulse of desire begin to stir within her once again.

It's not like anyone could really argue that it had happened too soon, they had been pretty much dating for the last three years, even if neither had been willing to label it before now.

She left the apartment, determined to get back to Maura and clear things up.

* * *

Closing her bedroom door Maura brought up a hand to wipe away an errant tear as it rolled down her cheek.

She wanted yesterday afternoon back again, when everything was perfect. Snuggled in post copulative bliss with the detective, there had been no doubt in her mind how Jane felt about her. Now she was back to the uncertainty that had plagued her for years.

She wasn't accustomed to feeling so vunerable, but the detective had opened up a part of her that she hadn't had much experience in dealing with. She had always held people at arms length. Jane had managed to sneak her way into her heart and in so doing had brought a wonderful light. But it came with an unsettling darkness when the brunette shut her out, like she did on occasion.

More tears spilled over as she opened her closet door.

Earlier the doctor had been so eager to change into clothing that hadn't spent two weeks in a suitcase, now as she stared through watery eyes at the clothes, she couldn't muster up much enthusiasm.

Frankie was waiting for her downstairs, she couldn't take too long. He had kindly agreed to go with her to return the rental car, and had given her a lift back home so she could change. Grabbing the first skirt she could lay her hands on and a matching sweater, she dressed quickly.

Sitting down on the bed she brought her hands up to her face, closing her eyes she tried to clear her mind of the confused thoughts. Why did things have to be so difficult? Opening her eyes again, she stood ready to go. As she did so, she noticed for the first time the crumpled state of the bedclothes. Someone had been in her bedroom.

Dr Hunt had told her that the crime scene techs hadn't been due to come in until Monday afternoon and they had been cancelled. Logically, she realised that the only person it could have been was Jane.

A panicked thought occurred to her, if the detective had been in her bedroom and her bed…

She quickly moved to check under her pillow for the T-shirt that she had left under there and was relieved to find that it was still in its original place. Of course that didn't mean that the brunette hadn't discovered it.

She sighed, the torturous thoughts returning.

She had had enough of existing with just tokens of Jane around, she wanted the real thing. Hadn't she taken the initiative already? Made the first move? Confessed her wishes?

It was painfully obvious to her that Jane had avoided any mention of her proposition. The detective hadn't even questioned her in detail when she had skirted lamely over where she had been all weekend.

Maybe things would have been better if she had not said anything. Then she would have had no reason to hide away all weekend. If she had come home as planned from the airport, she could have cleared up the whole mess before it all got out of hand. Jane wouldn't have been so broken and drinking excessively. And they wouldn't have ended up making love, only for the detective to forget the next day, leaving Maura even more confused about their relationship.

She was pulled from her pained thoughts by Frankie calling up the stairs.

"Sorry Maura…we need to leave if we are gonna get to Walpole in time to meet Korsak!"

"Coming!" she shouted.

She checked her reflection in the mirror quickly before heading downstairs.

* * *

Having just missed Frankie and Maura leaving, Jane decided to try and get some work done, walking into Homicide, she found Frost tapping away at his computer.

"Hey." She said

"Hey."

"How's it going?"

"I think I may have found something, but it's slow going trying to retrieve it!"

"I'm gonna grab a coffee, want one?"

"That would be great!" he smiled.

She left and returned ten minutes later with two cups of coffee and a bag containing two donuts.

"Thanks!" Frost said as she handed him a coffee and one of the donuts.

Sitting at her desk opposite him she started to look through the case notes she had made already. A part of her regretted the fact that she hadn't gone to the Prison. She hoped that Doyle wouldn't upset Maura. It was unlikely that he would be prepared to shed any light on the case.

"Can I get a hell yeah?!" Frost bellowed Jumping up and startling Jane into spilling a little of her coffee.

"Frost, what the…"

"I did it…I recovered some of the deleted material!" he said excitedly.

"Okay, well let's see it." she said.

* * *

Standing in the reception area at the archiving department Megan Hunt was one unhappy customer.

"This is ridiculous, do you know how imperative it is that I get hold of this file immediately?!" Megan said.

She was very close to losing her temper. The guy she was dealing with had that fresh out of college attitude, and he was more than a little rude.

"I'm afraid your request is being processed and will be handled in the next few days according to protocol!" said the file clerk curtly.

The redhead shook her head.

"But I'm here now, can't you just send someone to get me the file…"

"It's against the rules, plus we don't have anyone available to deal with it right now, everyone is busy handling the requests that were filed before yours, as per procedure."

"Whatever…I'll get it myself!"

"What? You can't come back here."

"Watch me!" she said removing her heels and moving to climb over the reception desk. It was the only way to get through to the door that led to the stacks warehouse, where all of the archiving for BPD was located.

The file clerk panicked as Megan managed to scramble in a dignified manner, over to his side of the counter.

"I…you…you can't come over her!"

"I can and I did and unless you have a gun under your desk there, you are not going to stop me from retrieving my file!"

The clerk was so shocked that he didn't even think about calling security.

Megan strode through into the stacks to find the file.

* * *

"Frost what the hell is going on? I just found out that Rizzoli's car was clocked ten minutes ago doing over a hundred on the I-95..."said Cavanagh coming into the room.

Frost straightened in his chair.

"Er…she…I managed to recover some footage from the FBI database, you have to see this."

He motioned a hand towards the huge screen and the Lieutenant looked up as the detective set the digital recording to play.

* * *

_Four days ago (Saturday afternoon)_

_Evan Jackson grimaced at the pain radiating through his shoulder as he pushed open the heavy cell door. He was breaking protocol entering the cell alone, if he was discovered he could be seriously reprimanded, but it meant little to him now. His time at the Bureau had come to an end. This was his last stop before a flight to Europe and a new life._

_Hard blue eyes scrutinised the agent as he entered the room._

"_Is it done?"_

_Evan looked down and cleared his throat._

"_Yes, but I'm afraid there was a problem."_

"_What kind of problem?"_

"_I was unable to do a clean job…I sterilised the scene…but I had to leave the body."_

"_Shit! Do you know what will happen when that body turns up in the morgue?!" said the prisoner angrily. _

_Evan steeled himself in preparation for the reaction to his next statement._

"_Also…she was at the house… I had no choice but to do it there." _

"_Jesus, of all the places, and to leave the body…" _

"_It was unavoidable, she managed to get in a lucky shot." He motioned to the bandage supporting his fractured clavicle._

"_I warned you not to underestimate her."_

"_I truly am sorry." He said ashamed of his failure._

"_It's done now," said the prisoner tersely "did you manage to recover all her belongings?"_

"_Yes. I stored them in the usual place."_

"_That's something at least." _

_An awkward silence fell between them. It stretched on for an uncomfortable amount of time._

"_I'm leaving the country in a few hours, once I've cleaned up here." _

"_A wise decision."_

_Evan held out his hand and was rewarded with a firm handshake. This was a parting of ways for a friendship that had spanned decades. He was not a fool, despite the order coming from the man himself, he had ended the life of one of the daughters of a mob boss, not something that would ever be forgotten. Evan Jackson would make sure he never crossed paths with Patrick Doyle again._

"_Take care old friend." said the agent._

"_You too."_

* * *

"Oh Shit." Cavanagh said as the recording finished.

"Korsak and the doc are over at the prison now, we couldn't get hold of them, they probably had their phones confiscated as part of security measures. Jane is on her way there."

Cavanagh nodded in understanding.

"Keep me up to date, I will try and get hold of the warden, see if I can get them to stop the interview… You know I always wondered if that whole honour code that Doyle was supposed to live by was bullshit."

"Yeah." said Frost.

The Lieutenant went back into his office.

A moment later the sharp staccato of heels in the corridor outside signified the arrival of the red haired M.E.

"I had to go to extreme measures, but I got it!" Megan said as she walked into the department holding up a file triumphantly.

"Great work, those guys down at archiving are usually hard to charm." He said.

Megan smiled.

"I don't think they were anticipating my brand of charm."

"Have you had a chance to go through it?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it's a little light on details."

She handed it to him.

"Man, this is either poor police work, or it's been interfered with. Who was the investigating officer…"He flipped to the front of the file "Detective Greg Smallwood…hmmm…that name is familiar…" Putting the file aside he tapped his computer keys and brought up a list of names. "I thought so, he was one of the dirty cops working for Paddy Doyle…Maybe this case was linked to Doyle in some way?..."he thought out loud.

"I'd say definitely!" Megan said. "The file may not contain much, but it does contain a DNA profile for the victim, a young male aged twenty to twenty-five, here's where it gets interesting, I compared it to our vics on a hunch, and there are several markers in common."

"What?"

"Yes, the victim in this case was a half-sibling to the victim and Dr Isles…on the paternal side."

"Whoa, I need to get a message to Jane and Korsak to follow this up with Doyle" he said reaching for his phone.

* * *

Sitting next to Korsak at the interview table, Maura shuddered as the door behind them closed with a heavy clunking sound. It echoed ominously throughout the room.

The interview room was unlike any that she had ever been in before. It was basically just a converted cell, it even had pipes in the corner were a toilet had likely been at one time. It was claustrophobic and the air was stifling. She couldn't subdue a slight feeling of anxiety, a certain amount of design in the architecture was intended to promote just that, she supposed.

Unusual measures had to be taken because of the maximum security status of the prisoner they were about to meet. 'The prisoner', she didn't like to think of him that way, her biological father. His presence in her life had been alarming at best, terrifying at worst. But he had shown her more affection in the few times they had met, than her adoptive father had shown in a lifetime. Though she didn't agree with his methods she knew that he had been taking care of her from afar since the day she was born.

The door swung open again and in came Paddy, flanked on either side by prison guards, two FBI agents brought up the front and rear as the group made their way to the table. It was close quarters, for whilst the room was quite big, obviously intended to house four men, the large table made it hard to navigate in such a big group.

Five minutes later and Paddy was chained to the desk. The guards and FBI agents had left the room. They were likely waiting outside in case there were any signs of trouble.

The room was silent.

Korsak spoke first.

"Do you know why we are here?"

Paddy remained silent looking at Maura.

She pushed a picture of the dead woman across to him.

"Who was she? Why didn't you tell me about her?...Will I find out about all my biological relatives when they end up on a slab in my morgue?" she said her voice thick with emotion.

"I'm sorry Maura." He said softly, shaking his head. He had wanted to avoid this.

"Do you know anything about what hap.."

The door flew open with an echoing cracking sound that reverberated throughout the room. In entered a very pissed Jane Rizzoli, Gabriel Dean followed closely behind.

"Korsak, get Maura out of here now." She bit out. She didn't want Maura to find out like this.

"Wha…"

"Now Korsak!"

"Jane…" Maura was confused and more than a little shocked.

"Out!" said Jane firmly.

"But…" she began. Dean pulled her to her feet a little roughly and pushed her towards a shocked Korsak.

The older detective led her out of the room, he was as bewildered as she was. The heavy door swung closed behind them.

"You son of a bitch, it was you!...you ordered the hit!" Jane was livid.

She stared at the man in the prison jumpsuit. Her eyes were wild. She had flown down to the prison like a bat out of hell, hoping to get here before the interview started and Doyle would see that Maura was still alive. But she had been held up by beaurocratic nonsense. In the end she was lucky that Dean was here overseeing things. He had been called to the wardens office where Jane was about to strangle someone. When she filled him in on the recent development he had waved her though security, but not before she had reached a dangerous level of fury.

She smacked a bandaged fist down on the table.

Paddy didn't even flinch as he observed her calmly. Her appearance was quite different from the cool cop that he was used to dealing with. She looked a little unhinged. He realised it must have been a shock to be confronted with the sight of the body that was the image of Maura. He had no idea that the confusion had continued as long as it had.

"Is she in danger you bastard?...Did you try to have her killed?" Jane voiced her fear.

That statement shocked him out of his controlled silence.

"No."

"You need to start talking Doyle." Dean said.

Paddy considered his options. The last thing he wanted was for Maura to think that he had tried to have her killed. Curse fate that Jackson hadn't managed to do a clean job.

On the other side of the door Korsak and Frankie were shifting uncomfortably as Maura paced angrily in the hallway. They had rarely seen the mild mannered doctor's temper. Though neither would admit it to said woman -and certainly not under the circumstances - it was kind of cute.

Her face was red and her fists were clenched.

The honey blonde was hurt by the way she had just been treated. It stung a little bit more that Gabriel Dean was a part of it. He and Jane were together in whatever was happening in that room and everyone outside had been shut out of it, including her. Though she accepted Frankies explanation that it was to do with a new development in the case, she didn't understand why they had been pushed out.

It had all happened so suddenly. She had a good mind to march back in there and demand an explanation. But she realised, she was so mad at Jane right now, that she didn't want to see her.

"Take me home please Frankie." She said finally.

* * *

**A/N Please review and let me know what you think...**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N Thank you for reviews, follows and favourites. The journey is nearly over, thank you for continuing to read. **

* * *

**Chapter 11**

The Dirty Robber was packed to the rafters when Jane entered later that day. It looked like Angela had cajoled the whole of BPD into coming. _Great! Just what I need, it'll take forever to get some time alone with Maura._ She smiled weakly and nodded a brief half-hearted greeting to various familiar faces.

She was desperate to speak to the M.E. and fill her in on what had happened with Doyle. And then there was the 'other' conversation. It had been eating away at her all day and though what had happened with the mob boss had overshadowed it somewhat, it was still one of the most important things she needed to do today.

Scanning the room purposefully, she finally managed to spot Korsak and Frost in one of the booths. She made her way gingerly over to them. Maura, Frankie and Angela were nowhere to be seen.

Korsak caught her eye as she got closer to their table. His eyes were guarded. She knew the look all too well, he was not very happy with her. It was probably to do with the way she had interrupted the prison interview, Korsak was lead on the case after all. She had wanted to explain her behaviour earlier. Once she had calmed down she realised it had been a little out of order, but by the time she had finished with Doyle, everyone had left.

As she approached the table Frost also looked up, he smiled in greeting, she was glad that someone was pleased to see her.

"Hey guys!" she said tiredly.

"Hey!" said Frost and Korsak in harmony, she noted the gruffness to the older detectives tone.

"Look Korsak I'm sorry about earlier, I…"

"S'okay, don't worry about it, Frost filled me in, I understand." He said, his eyes conveying the honesty in his words. It was a relief.

"Thanks."

"No need to thank me. We all know how hard this case has been on you…but Jane, I really think you need to speak to Dr Isles, it's _her_ you need to be apologising to! Dean manhandled her out of that cell like she was a perp and with no explanation…she wasn't happy about it, I haven't seen her so riled up since the incident at the warehouse…and rightly so. Before I spoke to Frost about what was going on I was royally pissed at you too..."

Jane sighed. So Maura was mad at her. She had every right to be, she conceded.

The detective had been so terrified that the honey blonde was in danger and subsequently furious with the prison warden for being such an asshole and denying her entry. By the time she had managed to get into the cell, her temper had been out of control. She had lashed out without thinking. She knew that she had snapped unnecessarily at the doctor. But it was in the interest of keeping her safe. Hopefully Maura would understand that once she had explained everything.

Jane knew that Maura would be crushed to learn that Paddy had instigated the murder and she had asked Frost to keep it from her for the moment. The detective wanted to be the one to deliver the news, in private. Of course that probably hadn't helped her case any with Maura, who would be struggling to understand why she had been treated so poorly.

Frost and Korsak shifted suddenly in unison, and then they averted their eyes from her.

She detected someone approaching from behind, it was an instantly recognisable someone. Even in the crowded bar her senses picked up the sweet familiar scent. The brunette couldn't keep the smile from her lips as she turned to face the honey blonde.

The doctors expression was stony.

"Detective Rizzoli!" Maura said aloofly, by way of greeting.

There was a collective 'uh oh' from anyone within earshot. The cat fighting between the two women several months ago had reached epic proportions and everyone had felt the shock waves. Nobody was eager to see a replay.

A few feet behind the doctor, Frankie was mirroring Frost and Korsak and also trying to look elsewhere. This was not going to be pretty. His sister had been more testy than usual recently and he feared the storm that was about to hit. He tensed in anticipation of Jane's response.

The two women were staring intently at each other.

The brunette raised an amused eyebrow. There was a firm set to the doctors jaw and her hazel eyes were flashing feistily. Jane melted. Angry Maura was just so incredibly adorable. _Everything_ about Maura was adorable. A swell of pure emotion enveloped her and she sighed contentedly... _I love you…_

The doctors eyebrows shot up.

"Pardon?"

A little lost in loving adoration, it took the brunette several seconds before she realised that she had voiced her subconscious thought aloud.

She bit her lip shyly.

"What I meant was…I…er…we really need to talk," she said softly "can I give you a ride home when you're done here?"

Maura's head was spinning. Had Jane just said that she loved her?

"Please." Jane added when she didn't get an answer straight away.

Looking into very earnest brown eyes, Maura felt her insides dissolve and her anger begin to dissipate. The detective was prone to bouts of insensitivity, especially surrounding anything to do with a case, but her heart was mostly always in the right place. Whatever had caused the incident at the prison earlier, it must have been serious for Jane's inner Neanderthal to make a guest appearance. She deserved the chance to set things straight.

Jane was staring at her expectantly.

"Thank you…that would be lovely." Maura said finally, with a slight smile.

"Great!" said Jane, her face breaking into a huge grin.

Both women were oblivious to the collective sigh of relief from the surrounding witnesses.

"I'm gonna head to the bar," Korsak said getting up, "What you having Jane? Beer?"

"Er no, just a club soda for me please." She mumbled.

Frost was about to make fun of the request when he was treated to one of Maura's stern looks. He held his tongue. Jane moved to sit beside him in the booth and he shuffled up a little. Frankie sat down opposite, next to Korsak's recently vacated seat.

Maura stood awkwardly for a few seconds, she contemplated joining them as would be her usual norm when they were together at the Robber, but she knew she was expected to mingle. She sighed. Truthfully the honey blonde wanted nothing more than to ask Jane to take her home immediately, so they could talk. She was desperate for some alone time with the detective. But a lot of people had made an effort to come here and it would be rude not to participate at a party being held in her honor.

Politeness won out in her internal debate.

"I'm sorry, I have to go and work the room." her apologetic smile was focused directly at Jane who answered with one of understanding.

"Go! Enjoy your resurrection party, we'll be right here if you need us." She winked.

The reassurance was warming. Maura disliked crowds intently, though she had grown used to them after attending hundreds of benefits and conferences. Knowing that she had close friends waiting for her in the room made the navigation of these murky waters more bearable. Jane watched fondly as the M.E. squared her shoulders and headed back into the fray.

Turning her attention back to the table, she heaved a huge sigh.

"What a day!" she said.

The understatement was glaring. It had been one hell of a crazy, bearded, piece of shit day! She woke up knowing for certain that Maura was dead and that she would never see her, or touch her, or smell her wonderful scent ever again. Only, that certain knowledge was incorrect, and upon discovery of the error, hopeless despair was exchanged for unfettered jubilation in the blink of an eye. Add into mix, the abrupt recall of their sexual encounter and it was fair to say that Jane was feeling the effects of what could only be described as emotional whiplash.

This was before the incident with Doyle, which had brought its own repercussions.

Her internal processor had been overloaded hours ago and had completely checked out. She felt pretty much numb to everything bar her feelings for Maura, which she grew even surer of with every passing minute. She wouldn't blow this second chance for absolutely anything.

Frost's moving lips alerted the detective to the fact that she was being addressed.

"Sorry Frost what was that?, I was miles away."

"I said 'how did it go with Doyle?'"

"Ask me again in twenty-four hours!"

"What?"

"Never mind, I'll explain later."

If Frost was about to protest, Korsak interrupted him by returning to the table with a tray of drinks. Soon they were all toasting Maura's health and trading stories of the first time they had met the M.E.

Jane's mind drifted again.

She desperately hoped that she had made the right call regarding Doyle. The interrogation had been difficult. He had remained tight-lipped and refused to answer nearly all of their questions, except for those concerning Maura. He was resolute that she was not in danger, and swore that he would never harm her in any way. Though she hadn't acknowledged it, the brunette's instinct had been to believe him, but she wasn't taking any chances. The threat of putting Maura into witness protection had weakened his resolve and he had made an uneasy deal with them. If they allowed him two phone calls he would provide evidence that would clear up both this case and also the cold case concerning his son. Similarly proving that the doctor was not in any danger. In addition he would plead guilty to conspiring to murder. He refused to elaborate any further about the 'evidence' or explain anything else, so they reluctantly agreed and gave him a twenty-four hour window.

The detective left the meeting convinced that Maura wasn't in any immediate danger and if Doyle made good on his word like she thought he would. Then the whole mess could be wrapped up by this time tomorrow.

She came out of her thoughts in time to hear Frost telling his story of meeting the M.E. She chuckled at his recollection of how Maura had body-shoved him away from the morgue table like a pro wrestler, before he had vomited on a corpse. She of all people knew the honey blonde was a lot stronger than she looked.

Getting up, Jane excused herself to go to the bathroom. She also wanted to check on Maura. As she wound her way through the throng of people, she overheard a familiar laugh. She turned her face slightly aside but not before she had been spotted.

"Janie, come here, look who I found!"

Having no choice but to respond to her mother, she turned towards the voice.

"Detective Rizolli!" said the rich baritone voice of Dr Mark Sloan. She groaned internally, what was he doing here? He was seated in a booth with several younger women and Angela. They were all practically salivating. He was a good looking guy granted, but he was such an arrogant pig, what did they see in him? Then again, it was hard for her to see anything in anyone other than her own deliciously hot sexy doctor, she allowed.

"Say hello Janie, don't be rude!" her mother scolded. Once again jarring her from her thoughts, she'd been spending quite a lot of time in her head recently she realised.

Dr Sloan's eyes twinkled in amusement.

"Doctor." She nodded in greeting. She couldn't quite remember his name.

"Join us, I'd like to show off my handiwork to these lovely ladies…"

"I don't…"

"Dr Mark Sloan? Well. Well. Well!" said Megan Hunt interrupting Jane's refusal.

The man's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Dr Megan 'Shepherd-bashing' Hunt!" he said.

The redhead rolled her eyes.

"Honestly!... I wasn't bashing him, I simply disagreed with one of his theories."

"Yes, but your little spat made that one of the best seminars of 2008!" He laughed "I haven't seen you on the conference circuit for a while, where have you been?"

The attraction between the pair was electric. Jane and the table full of women observed the exchange with interest.

"I left Neuro to work in pathology." She said simply, omitting the painful details behind the move.

"Really? Interesting move…How's that husband of yours?"

"Not sure…I left him too!" she said.

"Awesome!..." He cleared his throat "I mean 'awful' that must have been awful for you!" his eyes furrowed in feigned concern.

"Nah…It was the best decision I've ever made…!"

A huge grin plastered his face.

"Great. Are you seeing anyone?" Straight to it.

"Not right now."

Several pairs of shoulders slumped as the women around his table heard this revelation.

"Let me buy you a drink."

"Sure!"

Jane had heard enough.

"Sorry guys, nature calls." She said turning in the direction of the restroom. She heard Angela's tut of disapproval at her statement as she left.

Making her way past a group of people, she overheard another familiar voice. She was glad for the concealment afforded by the crowded bar a moment later as she guffawed insensitively. She had just heard the honey blonde describe yesterday morning as 'like being in The Twilight Films' fortunately Suzie Wang stepped in to tactfully correct the doctor's simile.

Jane's bladder yelled for attention. She picked up her pace to the bathroom.

Returning a few minutes later, she saw that Sloan and Megan had moved to stand together at the bar, their body language practically sparkling with desire. She smirked.

Maura had also moved and was chatting to another group of people.

Returning to the table Jane found the guys arguing over sports statistics. Normally she would have joined in, but she didn't much feel like it tonight.

"Same again everyone?" she asked, noticing the drinks were low.

She received three replies to the affirmative.

* * *

Maura was exhausted. She had told the same story so many times that it was beginning to feel like a rehearsed bought of elaborate fiction. It was hard to concentrate. All she really wanted to do was be alone with Jane. She excused herself from her present company and headed towards the bar to collect her thoughts and get some water.

She wasn't stood there long before a young woman approached. She had seen the woman earlier with a group of women that Angela had been talking to. She didn't recognise them as being from BPD.

She smiled politely.

"Dr Isles?...Hi…erm…I'm a medical intern at Mass Gen," she said in a smooth Texan accent. She leaned in a little closer to the honey blonde. "I saw your talk on 'a career in forensic pathology' last month…it was…inspiring!"

"Thank you." Maura flushed a little, sure that the young woman was flirting with her.

"I'm Vanessa…"

"Hi Vanessa, I'm Jane." said a husky voice from behind the doctor. A pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her. Maura leaned back instinctively into the embrace, as Jane's chin came to rest lightly on her shoulder.

The doctor's heart began to race. Her insides turned to mush. And all intelligible thought left her brain. Jane…her Jane…Detective Jane Rizzoli…had her arms around her. It felt like it was the most natural thing in the world, as if this was a common occurrence. Her breathing became shallow and she closed her eyes in an effort to enjoy the sensation further.

It brought back the memory of the first time she had seen the brunette.

* * *

_Standing in the banquet hall at the annual BPD Christmas Charity ball, Dr Maura Isles was regretting three things. One, she was regretting talking herself into coming to the event, sure she may be due to take over the Chief Medical Examiners position next month, but she didn't really know anyone here. Two, she was regretting the fact that she had chosen an outfit with a mask, though it only covered her eyes it was beginning to become fairly uncomfortable. Three, she was regretting wearing new designer heels that were incredibly difficult to walk in, despite their supposed ergonomic design._

_Still, it was Christmas she supposed, secretly it was one of her favourite times of year._

_The room was decorated beautifully in a wintery wonderland kind of theme. The M.E was marvelling at the sparkling snow-flakes hanging from the ceiling and didn't see the imminent threat caused by a drunken donkey losing his tail. _

_She walked straight into it._

_T__he fabric tail tangled around her feet and she pitched forward. _

_Oh Maura how undignified. _

_Her hands shot out in front of her as she braced herself for impact with the ground. But the floor stopped suddenly in its race to meet her. She found herself caught by two strong arms. She hovered, suspended mid fall as if levitating magically, until the arms shifted and pulled her effortlessly into an upright position._

"_Oh my…" She gasped breathlessly. _

_The owner of the tail, one Dr Pike, who was dressed appropriately as an ass, bent down to retrieve it without apology._

"_Are you okay?" said a husky voice from behind her._

_She turned to stare into a pair of warm chocolate eyes._

"_Uh…I…I guess…Thank you."_

"_No problem!"_

_And then she was gone, but not before Maura had committed every detail of her to memory. _

_Throughout the night the doctor's eyes had followed the brunette, observing her easy camaraderie with her colleagues who, like her, were all wearing their dress uniforms. None of them looked as handsome as she did in hers though, Maura couldn't help but feel the thrum of attraction. Though she didn't engage the detective in further conversation, she managed to learn her name from one of the crime techs._

_Detective Jane Rizzoli._

* * *

When she broke from the reverie she saw a flash of disappointment on the younger woman's face as she excused herself to re-join her companions. Before she turned away Maura read quiet appreciation also in the interns expression, she imagined that her and Jane made a fairly attractive couple.

Jane made no move to release her hold. The M.E. smiled and manoeuvred herself around so she was facing the detective.

"Hi!" she said softly.

"Hi yourself." came the husky reply.

The detectives face was inches from hers – the closest they'd been since yesterday afternoon. She felt her desire beginning to rise. Gentle hazel eyes turned a shade darker. Her breathing hitched when the detective brought up a hand to tuck an errant strand of honey blonde hair behind her ear.

The entire room swam out of focus around them as the detective leaned in to whisper in the doctor's ear.

"How about we get out of here?" she said, her breathing labouring in a similar fashion to Maura's.

Maura nodded wordlessly, her head rubbing against the brunette's cheek.

Jane stepped back. Taking Maura's hand in hers, she began to lead her towards the exit. Maura floated behind obediently.

Stopping at the table to retrieve their belongings, Jane handed some money to Frankie so that he could take her place in buying the round. The guys didn't seem to mind as Jane and Maura pulled on their coats and made a swift exit.

* * *

Closing her front door against the night chill, Maura turned to face Jane. The car journey had been silent, both lost in their respective thoughts.

The detective was holding her left hand and muttering under her breath.

"Does your hand still hurt? I noticed the bruising and slight swelling when I dressed it yesterday." she said concerned.

"Er..it's okay, a little achy." _It hurts like a mother fucker…_

"Can I take a look at it?"

"Er…maybe later." Despite all her bravado in taking control at the Robber, Jane suddenly felt awkward.

"Okay."

The silence was deafening after the noise pollution at the Robber, increasing both women's sudden anxiety. Maura found her way over to the radio, she flipped it on. It was tuned to a classical station and she was delighted to hear one of her favourite pieces.

"La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin." she said out loud without thinking.

"The girl with the flaxen hair." Jane said smiling.

Maura gasped in surprise.

"You speak French?"

Jane chuckled.

"I'm pretty sure if I did you would have known that by now!...I recognised the music." She added shyly.

This simple explanation was by far more impressive to Maura than the possibility of Jane speaking French. She hadn't even realised it was possible for her to love the detective any more than she already did, but she felt her love grow exponentially in that moment. She beamed a brilliant smile that made Jane feel warm through and through.

"So, you said you wanted to talk to me…?" Maura coaxed.

"Er…yeah…"

"Well, you have me all to yourself."

Jane's throat suddenly felt dry, not only at the prospect of what she was about to say but also at the suggestive lilt in the doctors voice.

Calling upon her resolve of earlier, she closed her eyes and plunged feet first.

"Maura, I'm absolutely crazy about you, I think I've been falling madly in love with you every day since the day that we met…every single part of me aches to be near to you." she opened her eyes to stare intently at Maura "I love you in every possible way that one person can love another, and maybe even in ways that are yet to be discovered…I have never in my entire life felt this way about anyone, I didn't even know such love existed outside of fairy tales. And the power of it scares me senseless, but the thing I'm more afraid of, is not getting the chance to express it to you. To tell you how much light you bring to my life, how the love you've inspired in me makes me a better person, how my soul feels content when we're together...I…hell the words seem trivial somehow...But I just..I just…love you!"

She sighed in relief of finally getting the words out, as jumbled a mess as they might have been .

The honey blonde was stunned beyond all words as Debussy's masterpiece swelled to its charming peak in the background.

"Please say something." Jane said quietly.

Maura burst into tears.

Jane crossed the gap between them instantly and pulled her into a hug. This was so not the reaction she was hoping for.

"Shhh…" she soothed.

"Jane I did something terrible..." Maura sobbed pulling back to look the detective in the eye. She was devastated. So sure that her revelation would cancel out all the beautiful words Jane had just gifted her with. She had waited so long to have her feelings reciprocated and now that her dream had been realised, it was stained by a stupid mistake.

"Last night when you were intoxicated, I…took advantage of you." She steeled herself against judgement that never came. A gentle hand cupped her face and the soft pad of a thumb began to stroke away her tears.

"Oh Maur, that's not what happened, I practically begged you. We made love. You were amazing. It was perfect...I'm the terrible one for not remembering straight away."

The honey blonde buried her head in the detective's shoulder, who in response settled her chin gently on top of it.

"You remembered?!" murmured Maura weakly into the warm shoulder.

"Of course," Jane said huskily. "I don't know how I could have forgotten something so life-altering in the first place!"

"Oh Jane…" Maura breathed. The guilt evaporating, she tried to form a fitting reply to Jane's confession. "...thank you...for all the wonderful things you just said…I…wasn't expecting it…I thought you wanted to talk about earlier... I had no idea…I…" she stuttered, completely taken aback, it was so unlike Jane to be so expressive and eloquent. It was hard to believe it wasn't a dream.

Jane shifted uncomfortably.

"Oh, yeah...about what happened at the prison I…"

"Shhh…we can talk about that tomorrow, right now _this_ is more important." Maura said, realizing at once how to convey an adequate response.

"_This_?" Jane questioned.

"This!" Maura said pulling the detective's head down gently and capturing her lips in a kiss. It was slow and warm and filled with years of pent up love. Jane responded immediately. Her hands finding their way into honey blonde hair. One hand came to rest lightly on the nape of Maura's neck before it tugged her deeper into the kiss. A shared moan escaped them as their tongues met slowly. They both leaned in, their bodies melding together easily. Maura wrapped her arms tightly around the detective. They devoured each other hungrily, both women ignoring the persistent burning in their chests that signified a lack of oxygen. Neither was willing to break the spell. Eventually breathing became a serious issue and they pulled back simultaneously, gasping hard. Jane was floating. Kissing Maura was in another league entirely from anyone she had ever kissed. Maura was full to bursting with love and happiness.

Red faced and breathing roughly, they smiled at each other shyly.

* * *

Over at headquarters a large brown package had been delivered to the Chief Medical Examiners desk. A typed label read: Dr Maura Isles, Private and Confidential.

It sat on the desk, ominously awaiting the addressee.

* * *

**A/N So there it is folks, we're on the home straight now. I'd love to hear from you, drop me a line and let me know how I'm doing if you have the time. It's always great to get feedback. **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N So work has been mad crazy these past few weeks, sorry for time taken to update. Again thanks so much for follows and favourites. I love you all.**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Maura looked up adoringly at the brunette, her heart hammering in her chest. There was a distinct first time quality about the kiss they had just shared. She was about to ask the detective if she felt the same, but she found herself swallowing back the words.

Jane had turned ghostly white all of a sudden.

"Jane?"

"I…" Jane blinked. The room began to swim out of focus. The dull ache in her injured hand had become searing pain, it ripped viciously throughout her arm and was quickly becoming unbearable. She closed her eyes against the assault, as a wave of cold nausea crashed over her and her knees began to buckle. She slumped forward.

A pair of surprisingly strong arms caught her mid collapse and she felt herself being lowered gently into a sitting position on the floor.

"Jane?" Maura's concerned voice cut through the fog.

The change of position helped somewhat, and slowly the detective began to pull round.

"Jane…please…" Maura begged. Her doctor's instincts had taken a backseat to the anxiety coursing through her and she found herself unable to think rationally. She wasn't used to feeling so helpless. "please Jane…"

Hearing the panicked tone, Jane forced herself to focus on the honey blonde.

She looked up steadily.

"It's okay Maura… I'm fine." she said, feigning a smile.

Maura breathed a small sigh of relief. Slowly colour had begun to creep back into the detectives face and her eyes were becoming more alert.

"What happened?" the honey blonde asked hoarsely. Jane's focus zeroed in on unshed tears in the concerned hazel eyes.

She grinned sheepishly.

"Well…that was one hell of a kiss Dr Isles…" she joked, her eyes twinkling despite the pain.

"Jane, I'm serious. This is hardly the time for humour."

The detective sighed deeply.

"Uh…I'm sorry." She stared at Maura for a few moments, absorbing the worry etched into the doctor's features. It was warming to feel so cared about. She decided that honesty was the best route. "It's my hand, it's been aching all day but right now it feels like it's on fire, it just overpowered me I guess." She held out the injured hand, a silent invitation for the honey blonde to examine it.

The M.E. couldn't deny the swell of pride that grew inside her. Jane was exposing her vulnerability, admitting to weakness. This was yet another infrequent event. In itself, the admission was every bit the declaration of love and trust as was her previous revelation. She felt her throat close with emotion, but she steeled herself against it, so she could concentrate on tending to the injury.

Tentatively, Maura unwrapped the bandaging. She gasped as the swollen appendage was revealed.

"We need to get some ice on that right away."

Maura stood and went into the kitchen in search of ice. Jane took the opportunity to collect herself further. She cursed herself for spoiling such a perfect moment.

The honey blonde was not absent for long. She settled back down on the floor, close to the detective, who winced as her enflamed hand was lowered gently into a bowl of ice water. The discomfort lasted only a few minutes and she soon felt relief as the ice began to numb the pain.

"How does that feel?"

"Much better. Thanks doc." she quipped.

Maura tilted her face to one side with a mildly amused look that clearly said 'really Jane?'.

Jane chuckled.

An hour later and the swelling in her hand had reduced considerably, along with the pain. Maura had been snuggled close to the detective the whole time, moving only to replace the ice as it melted. They were equally content and happy at the intimacy. The day had been a long and exhausting, Maura could feel herself growing sleepy.

Removing Jane's hand from the bowl she inspected the injury.

"It's looking a lot better, how's the pain?" she said.

"I can barely feel it now." Jane said flexing her wrist.

"I'll re-dress it and then I think it would be prudent to go to bed. I think we are both very much in need of some restful sleep."

Jane nodded.

"Fix me up and I'll head out."

"What?" Maura said shocked, disappointment registering on her face. "I mean…I assumed you would be staying."

"Is that so?" Jane chuckled, amused.

"Yes...of course, you can sleep in the guest room if you'd prefer, but I was rather hoping you would sleep in my room…with me" she added unnecessarily. She knew she was babbling. Jane seemed to be finding the whole thing very entertaining. And indeed she was. Maura was cute when she was flustered.

"I'd like that." Jane said simply, as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Maura's in a tender kiss.

Maura sighed contentedly.

Once the bandage had been applied to the detective's hand, they both changed into nightwear. They were too tired to carry out their usual nightly routines, a quick wash and brush of teeth had been all either could manage. They climbed into Maura's luxury Queen sized bed. It felt heavenly after such a fraught day.

Feeling an inexplicable urge to comfort the weary detective, Maura snuggled into her. And as she did, she began stroking the back of her hand lovingly up and down Jane's cheek.

It was very soothing and the brunette found herself drifting towards sleep. Maura's voice pulled her gently back to consciousness.

"Jane, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Jane murmured contentedly.

"Why now…?"

"Huh?" It took the detective a few seconds to follow the honey blondes thought path. "Oh…" She considered how to explain. She wondered if she had used up her semi-graceful articulation quota for the day. She took a breath to steel herself against a painful memory. "I thought I'd lost you Maur. When I saw that body, it was like my entire world collapsed. I couldn't function without you, the loss was unbearable. I knew that we would never get the chance to be together, and in that moment I realised for certain that I didn't want to be with anyone else. It broke me. It was like I had died too. I couldn't eat or sleep…" She didn't mention the excessive alcohol consumption. Maura had seen that part for herself.

The soft hand continued stroking the detective's cheek as Maura considered the explanation. Jane's eyes grew heavy again. If the doctor made comment, the brunette missed it as she allowed sleep to claim her.

Maura noted the shift in Jane's breathing pattern and knew the brunette had succumbed to sleep. She couldn't quite manage to settle. It occurred to her that perhaps the detective was still feeling the trauma of what must have been a horrific crime scene. More importantly, the declaration of love, no matter how sincere, might have been forced by circumstance rather than freely expressed. She wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

Eventually she fell asleep trying to self-analyse.

* * *

Frost was the first person to enter Homicide the next day. He had left the Robber at a reasonable hour. By the way Korsak and Frankie had been gearing up, he suspected they had probably stayed out a good few hours after he had left. He didn't have long to wait before his suspicions were confirmed as Korsak groaned his way into the department.

Frost smiled.

"I got ya a coffee buddy." He said, gesturing to the cup he had placed on the older detective's desk just a few minutes before.

"Thanks" Korsak grunted.

"What time did you turn in old man?" Frost said grinning.

"Who are you calling old man?" said Frankie coming in, looking as rough as Korsak. "You're the one who left the party early to go home and put on his slippers!"

Frost grinned. Korsak dipped his head slightly to acknowledge the younger Rizzoli.

His previous question forgotten, Frost leaned in conspiratorially. He was eager to share a titbit of gossip he was privy to.

"Dr Hunt came in here a few minutes ago and she was 'pie-whistling'" he chuckled.

"Really?" Frankie shook his head and chuckled.

Korsak furrowed his brow.

"Pie-whistling?"

"Yeah…" Frost thought about the best way to explain the phrase "You know, like when you whistle the next morning after having some 'pie'" He made quotation signs in the air with his fingers at the last word.

The older detective still looked a little blank.

"Remember Dr Hunt left with that plastic surgeon guy?" Frankie tried.

"Yeah" said Korsak

"Well, they probably went back to his hotel room for 'pie'" Frankie said mirroring Frosts quotation signs.

"Oh…oh…I see." Korsak also chuckled a little.

As if on cue, Jane entered whistling a jaunty tune.

The three guys all turned to stare at her.

"What?" she demanded.

"Um...Didn't you leave with Maura last night?" said Frankie.

"Yeah, why?" she asked frowning slightly…they were staring at her again.

"No reason…"

"She'll be up here in a minute so we can run through the case. She got stuck talking to Ma in the café."

Jane wasn't in the mood for Angela this morning, Maura had sensed the detective getting irritated and had sent her on ahead.

She sat down at her desk and began to log in to her computer system. She smilled to herself at the password 'DRMAURA01' the smile widened as Maura came in a few moments later, whistling a pretty tune.

Korsak spurted coffee all over his desk. Frankie and Frost looked from Maura to Jane in shock.

"Detective Korsak are you okay?" said the doctor, oblivious to the nature of the looks her tuneful entrance had caused.

"Seriously? What _is_ the deal with you guys this morning?" said Jane. The shocked expressions had turned to amused smirks. It suddenly dawned on her. "Aww hell, I was 'pie-whistling' too wasn't I?" she grinned in spite of herself.

Though she and Maura hadn't really defined their new relationship status, they had talked about not keeping things a secret. Their family and friends had probably known longer than they had about their feelings for each other. If the subject came up they'd decided they weren't going to deny it, but Jane hadn't realised they would be faced with it so soon.

Frost laughed and held up a hand for a high five. He was left hanging. Maura Isles was not the kind of woman that Jane would disrespect, even playfully. She gave him a mock stern look that explained this.

Frankie, the perfect brother that he was, pulled her into a quick hug that said 'I'm happy for you guys, I love you.'

Maura had been watching both exchanges curiously.

"What's 'pie-whistling'?" she said finally, inciting a chorus of chuckles.

"Dr Isles, don't you know what a 'pie-whistle' is?" Korsak teased.

"Of course I do, it's a ceramic funnel placed in the centre of a pie to allow steam to escape, which prevents the filling from boiling and leaking through the crust…I'm not sure I understand the relevance. Jane, do you intend to make pie?"

"Yeah Jane, do you intend to make pie?" said Frost his eyes twinkling.

He was saved from a Rizzoli glare that might have left him bruised, as a uniformed officer entered the room carrying a police file. He was rather stocky and mousy haired. He handed the file to Maura, who took it automatically.

"Here's the file you requested Dr Isles, sorry for the delay, apparently it had been misfiled."

"I haven't put in any file requests, I've been out of the office for the past…"

"Let me see that…" Jane interrupted coming over and taking the file as the honey blonde held it out. The officer smiled politely and left. "…It's a cold case file for a Matthew Doyle." said Jane.

"Doyle? as in Paddy Doyle? One of his relations? Do you think it's the same case as the one Dr Hunt was looking at?" said Frost. The file he had read didn't even have the vics name in it.

"Well, you know I don't like to guess…" Jane joked, winking at Maura. "But I'd say there's a good chance it might be."

"I'll call Dr Hunt and get her to bring the other file up here."

Maura had gone quiet. The mention of her biological father reminded her of the conversation she had yet to have with Jane. They had been somewhat preoccupied this morning with a more stimulating activity. She smiled a sad smile. How she wished that this whole case would disappear so that she and Jane could spend long hours exploring each other.

Someone handed her the autopsy report. As she read about the death of yet another of her siblings, a lump formed in her throat. The young man's life had ended so violently, stabbed many times in what appeared to a frenzied attack. It went on to catalog each wound and the depth and width of it. An odd detail was that a pair of scissors had been lodged in the victim's right shoulder several hours post mortem. The other injuries were not consistent with the kind of wounds caused by a pair of scissors. The murder weapon had not been identified. She frowned. Why would a killer stab a body hours after death and with a different weapon?

Jane was reading the police report aloud. Maura let the sounds around her fade into the background as melancholy thoughts dominated her mind. Here she was again, reminded of the lies and secrets and death her biological father had brought into her life. Looking at the picture attached to the report of her suspected brother, she noted sadly that they had several facial features in common. He looked an awful lot like Paddy too. Her musings were interrupted by the sound of expensive heels.

"Well, it seems that I'm last to join the party." said Megan as she came in "but I brought the biggest gift!" she was carrying a large brown package. "This was on your desk this morning Dr Isles, after Frost told me about the miracle of the missing file, I wondered if this also might contain information relevant to the case?"

"Megan, please call me Maura."

Megan smiled a nod as she put the package down on the nearest desk. Jane's sharp observation skills picked up a small red security stamp, it signified that the package had been scanned for threats in the police postal area. Without it, she wouldn't have let her lover within a mile of the parcel..._Hmmm lover_.

Maura began to open the package as her colleagues stared on, it was like a scene from some sort of sinister birthday party.

Inside the package was a black leather Doctors bag in a clear evidence bag, it was the exact same make and model as her own. Also there was a letter addressed simply to 'Maura' and a dark blue memory stick.

* * *

**A/N Thanks for reading. Reviews always make my day, especially nice ones. :) **


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N If you're reading this, thank you ever so much for sticking with me. I Would have posted this weekend but Pride celebrations kept me busy. Happy Pride everyone! :P**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Maura was horrified into silence.

The world can turn on a dime. She couldn't remember where she had heard the term or what made her think of it at that moment, but it was fitting.

Waking up nestled in the arms of the woman she had secretly loved for many years, was a dream turned reality. The scene had been set for this to be a wonderful day. Yet only a few short hours later and here was her worst nightmare playing like a movie for all to see.

As the eerie cold voice echoed around the room, a shiver trailed down her spine. She dragged her eyes from the screen, fear and shame rampaged through her. She maintained as neutral an expression as she could while fighting tumultuous thoughts, nobody could know the underlying reason for her distress. Her effort was unnecessary; all eyes in the room were firmly fixed on the huge media screen.

A slight feeling of isolation joined the cocktail of emotions churning in her stomach. Jane and the rest of the team seemed distant somehow, as if they'd taken an unconscious step away from her. The doctor swallowed a lump in her throat at the detective's stiffened appearance. Every face in the small enclosed space that constituted BRIC, bore the same uneasy expression.

Maura wondered if they were having difficulty separating the woman on the screen from herself. It was understandable. Even Maura had to keep reminding herself that it wasn't her, doing, and saying those hideous things.

She caught Megan observing her curiously. Did the redhead's thoughts mirror her own? Had she begun to draw a similar, frightening, conclusion? It didn't bare thinking about.

Her attention was pulled to the red light blinking on the memory stick as it delivered second after second of abhorrent footage. It was so small and innocuous. Who could have known it might contain such devastating material.

The recording that began playing when Frost had plugged in the device had caused Maura's chest to constrict immediately:

* * *

_A week ago_

_Even in a bright orange jumpsuit and chained to a table, Patrick Doyle was a formidable presence. There was something about the way he held himself that was intimidating, almost regal. One might speculate that he was a monarch in many ways, King of a sinister empire. Even from the confines of a prison cell he was able to rule his kingdom._

_He looked up as his visitor was brought in by two armed guards. An involuntarily shiver traced a cold path down his back. He had been expecting this visit for a few days. Though he hadn't laid eyes on this woman for a decade, he knew exactly what she would look like. Even so, the symmetry was unsettling._

_His face remained hard and neutral as she took a seat demurely in the chair opposite. The sound of heavily booted footsteps punctured the grim silence, as the escorts shuffled away. Agent Jackson had arranged for them to be given some privacy. As soon as the door clunked shut, the woman uncoiled like a snake. Her eyes were hard and dangerous and showed no signs of the warmth and compassion so often present in those of her sister. A menacing sneer formed on her lips. _

"_Hi Daddy, it's so nice to see you…did you miss me?" The coldness of her voice traced another shiver down his spine. Outwardly he projected his rough crime head persona, when he spoke his voice was both indifferent and intimidating._

"_What do you want Margo?"_

"_Tut tut, I drove all the way from L.A. to visit you." She feigned hurt "You could at least pretend to be happy to see me."_

"_I said, what do you want?" his voice was gruff. She ignored his tone and carried on speaking conversationally._

"_Have you been following my work?..." no answer, she smiled. "Oh come on…don't pretend you didn't love the little tokens I sent you from each of my projects. I know that I've been making you ever so proud Daddy…" _

_Bile rose in his throat as he thought of the collection of small Polaroid pictures that had been delivered to him over the years. He accepted that he was a monster, the darker side of his nature revelled in it, enjoyed the fear it evoked in others. But sitting across from him was a monster like no other, evil leaked from her every pore. _

_The honey blonde had deliberately dressed more conservatively in order to avoid attracting attention. She was however wearing dark red lipstick that didn't really match the outfit. It was yet another reminder that she was not the woman whose name she had used to gain access to the prisoner._

_Reaching down the front of her dress she pulled out a small photograph._

"_Speaking of tokens, here's one that you didn't get to see." She tossed it casually towards the mob boss, smiling. He couldn't mask the look of pain in his eyes, and her smile widened._

"_He was your brother Margo." He said, his voice was thick with emotion._

"_Like you give a fuck about family!" she sneered. She faked a sympathetic tone, "Poor poor Matty, he came to tell me how big bad mob boss daddy was going to set me up with the cops and get me sent to prison for life…I had to leave town, I couldn't take him with me… so I left a little goodbye message with him for you to find."_

_Paddy grimaced. Both Margo and Mathew had managed to track down their biological father in their early twenties and claim a place in the family business. Mathew was clever with numbers and had worked payroll. Margo had shown a particular aptitude as an 'enforcer' like her father. He had trained her proudly. _

_After a while he began to get reports that she had become overzealous. It seemed she enjoyed inflicting suffering greatly, her sinister torture of some of the people she had been sent to 'silence' was starting to cause disquiet. This was no mean feat among the kind of people Paddy employed. _

_He'd tried to discuss it with her, but her lack of empathy had troubled him. It came to a head when he found out that she had murdered the wife of one of her hits. There were rules that his organisation adhered to and the torture and killing of women was unacceptable, especially innocent bystanders. _

_She had to be stopped before she became even further out of control. He'd made arrangements with the DA to have her framed for murder and sentenced to life without parole. Mathew had found out about it somehow and they'd had a massive argument. The last time Paddy saw his son, he was gunning angrily out of the docks on his motorcycle. _

"_He loved you." He said, anger tinging his words._

"_And I loved him, I just loved hearing him squeal like a fucking pig when I gutted him." She grinned wickedly as Paddy roared, pulling at the restraints. This was so much better than she had hoped, they were alone and he was shackled up like a broken circus bear._

_She stepped purposefully around the table, faking a pout._

"_Come now Daddy, don't be so sad." Before Paddy could react, her arm was round his neck squeezing hard, choking the life from him. "You wanted to know why I'm here? I came to kill you, you bastard!" _

_Dark spots began to appear before his eyes as his body struggled for oxygen. "I've waited a long time for this moment." she sneered. _

_Then the arm around his neck relaxed and he was able to gulp down some air. _

_She kissed the top of his head roughly then walked a few paces to one side of the room. "I've dreamed of killing you for many years, only now I have a better idea on how to exact my revenge." He looked at her confused, his face dark red, still gasping. _

_Her voice turned sickly sweet and casual again. "I was so surprised to see you on the news… and of course even more surprised to learn of the woman who initiated your downfall. You let yourself get caught, for her. Quite the stunner she is… her picture is going to be pride of place in my collection, the good doctor. I'm gonna bleed every ounce of blood from her body in the most painful of ways. I've perfected my art form, you cannot even begin to imagine how much she is going to suffer. I'm gonna play with her for hours before she dies screaming in agony."_

"_No!" He yelled horrified. Then her arm was back around his neck and this time she didn't ease up until he was unconscious._

_Slipping the Polaroid back down the front of her dress, she banged on the door for the guards._

_They looked in confusion at the slumped orange form. _

_The honey blonde shrugged her shoulders._

"_I_ _guess I __bored him to sleep talking in big, educated, doctory words…" she said innocently._

* * *

The clip was just as disturbing second time around, even knowing what to expect. Jane turned to look at Maura when it had finished, but the doctor had slipped away unnoticed.

"Where's Maura?"

There was a unified rising of shoulders. No-one had noticed the M.E. leave. Jane furrowed her brow in concern. She knew that Maura would have signalled to Jane if she had wanted her to go with her. It hurt a little that the doctor hadn't saught her comfort, but she shook it off.

"Whoa, check this out!" Frost had gloved up and his purple hands were now opening the clasp of the leather doctor's bag. He placed an item carefully on the desk, it was wallet. He flipped through it and stopped at the ID card, he showed it around, it was the twin 'Margo Doyle'.

The brunette was eager to know what else was in the bag, she felt a pang knowing that if Maura were here, she would insist upon it being unpacked in a sterile environment, to adequately preserve any evidence. Megan didn't express any dissatisfaction at the steps Frost was taking.

Thinking of Maura, the detective was torn. Should she go and try to find out where she had gone? Or should she respect that the honey blonde obviously needed some space?

The next item Frost removed from the bag made her mind up for her. She pulled out a pair of gloves from her belt and went to inspect it. It was a sturdy canvas butcher's knife roll, only instead of knives, it was filled with eight pairs of a generic brand of scissors. She removed a pair to examine more closely, they appeared to be new and unused.

"I've got a knife…" Frost said, pulling out the implement, concealed in a leather holder. It was a curved hunting knife. Megan instantly handed him a blood test kit. Jane was impressed, though she could not see from where on her person the M.E. had produced the kit.

"Positive for human blood." said the redhead as she watched the young detective perform the test.

"Murder weapon?" said Frankie.

"looks like!" said Korsak. They too were huddled around the table, equally curious as to what contents the bag would reveal.

"Holy shit!" All eyes turned to the small bespoke photo album Frost was holding, bound in green leather it contained picture after picture of a series of sinister murder scenes. He flipped through it briefly, before handing it to Jane. She recognised the paleness in his face as his stomach lurched slightly.

She studied the collection of mini Polaroids.

"They're trophies…she was a serial killer," she said in shock.

"And this is her murder kit." Megan said gesturing to the bag.

There was a beat, where everyone felt the gravity of what they had discovered.

"Geez, there must be over fifty pictures here…"

"Jane, the camera is here too...we'll need to run analysis on everything, but it seems pretty open and shut," said Frost. "I just can't believe she was the docs sister."

"Maura needs to know." Jane said to the room in general.

"Know what?"

Five heads turned to look towards the voice, as the doctor came back into the room.

Jane considered how to reply.

"Your sister, she was a killer." Frankie blurted. The look Jane gave him nearly caused the same to be true of _his_ sibling.

"I gathered that from the footage." Maura said, a little sharper than she'd intended. She had left for the sanctity of her office, unable to bare the repeat showing. Having gathered herself together somewhat, she had returned to face whatever would happen next.

"Maura, it looks like there are a lot of victims, she took pictures..."

"Show me." The doctor said, holding out her hand for the picture book.

"I don't think you need to see this." Jane said softly.

"I want to see."

"The pictures are…" Jane began, subconsciously moving her hand right hand to cover the book in her left.

"Show me." Maura said firmly.

"I just don't think…"

"DAMN IT JANE! I'M A MEDICAL EXAMINER, I'VE SEEN DEAD BODIES BEFORE!"

Maura hadn't intended to curse or raise her voice, so she was as shocked by her outburst as everyone else in the suddenly silent room, using it to her advantage, she set her jaw and narrowed her eyes at the detective. She needed to see the evidence for herself.

* * *

**A/N Eeek chapter 13! I Saved it especially for Margo's guest appearance. (virtual) candy for anyone who can guess why I named her Margo? **

**I'd love to hear from you, this is my first Rizzles fic and reviews fuel my writing…**


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